Avgolemono Soup
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Avgolemono is Greek comfort at its finest—lemony, silky, and so much more than your usual chicken soup.
Every culture has its favorite chicken soup—from classic American chicken noodle soup to cozy Jewish matzo ball soup. In Greece, it’s avgolemono soup, a light yet satisfying blend of flavorful chicken broth, bright lemon, eggs, chicken, and rice. The name comes from the Greek words “avgo” (egg) and “lemono” (lemon).
This avgolemono soup recipe is surprisingly easy to make, with just one “cheffy” step: tempering the eggs. This process gently warms them to avoid scrambling and creates the soup’s signature creamy texture. Don’t worry—I’ve made it foolproof with a blender. Pair it with souvlaki and a fresh Greek salad for a satisfying meal.
“I couldn’t believe I wasn’t at a restaurant. This had the most delicious taste with the perfect amount of lemon. I’m in heaven!”
What You’ll Need to Make Avgolemono
- Chicken tenderloins or breasts: Adds protein and heartiness. If using chicken breasts, you’ll need to cut them into 1-inch strips before cooking.
- Chicken broth, fresh dill, bay leaf & white pepper: The broth is what ties everything together; dill adds a fresh herby lift and gives the soup a familiar Greek flavor, bay leaf brings subtle earthy depth, and white pepper gives gentle heat.
- Long grain white rice: Bulks up the soup; a portion gets blended in to thicken the broth and keep it silky. Although rice is traditional, some people swap in orzo for a different twist—just keep in mind it cooks more quickly, so you’ll need to adjust the timing.
- Fresh lemon juice, eggs & egg yolks: The heart of avgolemono—eggs whisked with lemon make the broth creamy and rich, while the yolks add extra body.
- Heavy cream: Though not traditional in avgolemono, cream enriches the broth and helps soften the lemon’s acidity. Feel free to omit it for a more lemon-forward version.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Season the chicken. Place the chicken on a plate, sprinkle with salt, and let sit for 15 minutes.
Pro Tip: Salting the chicken ahead of time isn’t just about flavor—it also helps the meat retain moisture so it stays tender when it poaches in the broth.
Step 2. Start the soup base. In a large pot, bring the broth, rice, white pepper, dill sprigs, and bay leaf to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook until the rice is al dente, about 5 minutes.
Step 3. Add the chicken. Remove the pot from the heat, add the chicken, cover, and let sit until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Step 4. Chop the chicken. Discard the dill sprigs and bay leaf. Transfer chicken to a cutting board, cool slightly, and chop into bite-sized pieces.
Step 5. Make the egg-lemon mixture. Blend ¾ cup of rice with the lemon juice, eggs, and yolks until smooth. Add ¾ cup broth, blend again, then repeat with another ladle of broth.
Step 6. Finish the soup. Stir the egg mixture slowly into the hot broth , add the cream, and gently simmer over low heat until the rice is tender. Just before serving, stir in the chopped dill and chicken. Serve right away, since the soup thickens as it sits. Refrigerating or freezing the soup can affect its texture, so, for best results, enjoy the soup fresh.
Video Tutorial
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Avgolemono Chicken Soup with Rice
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins (or chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips)
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 8 cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup long grain white rice
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 3 sprigs fresh dill, plus 2 teaspoons chopped (see note)
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 2 lemons
- 2 large eggs plus 2 large yolks
- ½ cup heavy cream, plus a bit more if necessary (optional; see note)
- Freshly ground black pepper, for serving
Instructions
- Place the chicken on a plate and season all over with the salt. Let sit for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring the broth, rice, white pepper, dill sprigs, and bay leaf to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is al dente, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, add the chicken, cover, and let sit until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Discard the dill sprigs and bay leaf. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, let cool slightly, then chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer about ¾ cup of the rice to a blender. Add the lemon juice, eggs, and yolks to the blender and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Using a soup ladle, transfer about ¾ cup (180 ml) of the broth to the blender and process until smooth, 10 seconds (be sure to leave the hole in the lid open and cover with a kitchen towel to allow the steam to escape). Add another ladleful of broth to the blender and process again.
- Slowly pour the egg mixture into the pot, stirring until evenly combined. Add the cream and bring to a gentle simmer over low heat. Do not boil. (The soup will be a bit frothy at this point; don’t worry, the froth will settle as it simmers.) Taste the rice to see if it’s cooked through. If it needs a few more minutes, gently simmer the soup until the rice is cooked. Right before serving, stir in the chopped dill and the chicken, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. If the soup is too lemony, add more cream. If the soup is too thick, thin it with a bit of water. Serve immediately, as the soup thickens up quite a bit as it sits.
Notes
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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Love this soup. So tasty! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. Will definitely make again 😋
I have some leftover rotisserie chicken that I’m trying to find good use for it. Do you think I could just add cooked chicken instead of the chicken tenderloins? If not, I’ll defrosts some chicken breasts I have in my freezer and try it this weekend since it sounds really delicious although I have never tried such a soup. Thanks
Sure, Nancy – just skip the step of poaching the chicken off the heat and simmer the rice until it’s cooked through.
This looks delicious! Is there a way to prepare it in advance so it will hold for 2-3 days without thickening up too much?
Hi Joanna, Yes, I would cook the rice separately according to the package instructions. You can blend the 3/4 cup of cooked rice into the egg/lemon mixture in the blender (before adding the hot broth) and stir the blended mixture back into the pot (so the base of the soup will be done); then just wait to add the remaining rice and chicken to the soup until right before serving. If the soup seems a little thick upon reheating, you can thin it with a little more broth or water. Hope that helps!
Can I use half and half in lieu of heavy cream?
Sure, Susan – that should work or you can just leave it out.
Would this work with long-grain brown rice as well? (I’m guessing it would just take lots longer to reach the “al dente” point.)
Hi JA, Yes and I agree on the cook time. Please LMK how it turns out!
Hey Jenn,
First, I just want to tell you how much I enjoy your recipes and your cookbook! You are my go to all of the time (and have been since I discovered you several years ago) because I know whatever recipe I use will be great. All of our special holiday meals with family always has at least one Once Upon a Chef recipe. Thank you for sharing your expertise and love of cooking! I have a quick question. What could I substitute to use to make this soup if I don’t have a blender? I do have a mini Cusinart processer. Would that work or would it be better to blend in by hand?
Hi Mary, Your mini Cuisinart should work fine, although you will probably not have room to blend in the hot broth. I would transfer the blended egg/rice/lemon mixture to a bowl and slowly whisk in the broth (don’t add it too fast or the egg mixture may curdle) before adding the mixture back to the soup. Hope that helps, and so glad you enjoy the recipes!
Hi Jenn! I’m so excited to try this. How do you think it would freeze?
Hi Jay, I don’t recommend freezing this soup. Sorry!
This is my children’s favorite soup. I have been making this for years. Excellent recipe. I make this slightly different by omitting the bay leaf and dill. And using the zest and juice of 1-2lemon. Adding carrots and onion and using orzo instead of rice. I keep the orzo separate so it stays al dente.
I have been making the soup for years. My grandmother taught me, we use plain yougurt and dry mint leaves. In Aremenia the word for yougert is MATZOON Soup. Whenever my kids were not feeling well I made them this soup.
Hi Jenn
Sounds Great, but what could I use instead of heavy cream?
Any suggestions?
Hi Karen, You can just leave it out; most avgolemono soups don’t call for it.
The Greek chicken lemon duo is a close as you can get as chicken duo with matzah balls. A warm and hug for any time. Bravo!