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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Hi Jen. I am sensitive to heave cream in recipes. What can I substitute it with. I love this soup. Thanks in advance.
Hi Gina, I would just leave it out or use milk. The soup will be a bit more lemony, but still delicious.
Absolutely delicious. Served it with NY Times caramelized onion grilled cheese recipe. Best meal ever!
I was visiting my mom in Atlanta and had to cook in her kitchen with limited ingredients and utensils. I added diced carrots, simmered for 10 minutes before adding rice. I didn’t bother blending the ingredients because I didn’t have a blender. I felt that the cream thickens the soup. Just whisk the eggs and lemon juice with fork and pour in broth at the end. My mom loved it!
I see the instructions in several of your comments as to how to make ahead but is there a reason why this cannot be made today and heated up on stove top the next day after cooking? I plan to make this for a friend having surgery tomorrow but need to make today but cannot understand if there’s going to be a problem if I just reheat it tomorrow. Please explain when you have a chance.
Thanks, Staci
Hi Staci, I may be too late to help (sorry!), but I wouldn’t fully prepare the soup as the broth will get absorbed by the rice and the rice would get really mushy. For future reference, I’d 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). Store the remaining rice and chicken in a separate containers and add them 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!
I’ve tried 3 other recipes so far and this is the best version. Perfectly balanced. This is the one that’s going in to my recipe tin! Thanks so much for another delicious recipe
This soup is amazing! I love all soups and this has to be the best I’ve ever tasted. I was intrigued by the ingredients and the cooking method – pureed rice & tempered eggs? I made half, exactly as written, and we loved it. My husband and daughter are looking forward to having it again, which will be soon! I can’t wait to share it for girlfriend and wine night. It is light and lemony, the chicken is tender and the dill shines through. Served it with salad and a baguette. Absolutely delicious. (Now I just need to figure out how to pronounce it, lol) Another dinner winner, thanks, Jenn!
Love this!! SO easy, so delicious. The lemon is in perfect balance with the other ingredients. Not overpowering. Made it exactly as is in recipe. Sharing the recipe with my friends!
Jenn, I love this soup! I just made a big pot and wondering if it can be frozen- without the cream? Many thanks for your fabulous recipes, every one a winner!
Chris
Hi Chris, so glad you like the recipes! Unfortunately, I don’t think this would freeze well — sorry!
Fantastic!! Spring-y and fresh and hearty at the same time. How do you recommend reheating leftovers?
So glad you liked it! You can either reheat it on the stove or in the microwave. Just keep in mind that it will have thickened up quite a bit in the fridge — you can thin it out with a bit of water or broth.
Delicious. Hearty and elegant at the same time. The chicken was so tender that I will use this method in other soups. I used a little less lemon juice and would do so again. Company worthy.