Greek Lemon Rice Soup
Avgolemono Soup is a uniquely cozy, lemony, chicken soup loaded with refreshing, comforting, nutritious, feel-good ingredients. It's made with juicy shredded chicken (or shortcut rotisserie), tender jasmine rice, carrots and celery, aromatic onions and garlic in a vibrant lemony broth infused with fresh dill and parsley. What sets Greek Lemon Chicken Soup apart, is it’s prepared Greek-style with avgolemono sauce (lemon-egg sauce) so the broth is extra silky, luxurious, vibrant and satisfying! Serve your Avgolemono Soup with dinner rolls and a Greek salad for a complete feast!
Servings 6 -8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, patted dry (OR see notes for breasts or rotisserie chicken)
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2-3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- pinch-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons granulated chicken bouillon, cubes or bouillon better than bouillon (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp EACH dried basil, dried thyme, salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
ADD LATER
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain jasmine rice (see notes for brown)
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dried)
Instructions
- Sear chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven/soup pot. Season chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper then sear until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate but leave drippings.
- Saute vegetables: Melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat in the drippings. Increase to medium-high heat and add onions, carrots and celery; sauté until tender, scraping up the golden bits on the bottom of the pan. Add garlic and red pepper (if using) and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add ingredients: Add chicken back to the pot along with lemon zest, bouillon, all seasonings and chicken broth.
- Simmer soup: Cover the soup to bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Simmer the soup (covered) until the chicken is tender enough to shred, about 12-15 minutes (longer for breasts). Meanwhile:
- Make avgolemono: While the soup is simmering, whisk together the lemon juice, eggs and egg yolks in a medium liquid measuring cup or mixing bowl; set aside.
- Shred chicken: Once chicken is tender, remove to a cutting board; shred once cool enough to handle, don’t add back to the pot yet.
- Simmer rice: Add the rice to the soup, cover, and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently until rice is almost tender, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. ***NOTE: Cooking time may vary depending on your rice and how long it takes to bring your soup to a simmer so I suggest checking the rice often until done. Don't cook until completely tender (should have a little "bite" to it) because the rice will continue to cook while the hot soup sits.
- Temper eggs: Using a ladle, slowly drizzle some of the hot soup into the egg and lemon mixture while whisking CONSTANTLY in order to temper the eggs. Repeat about 4 times, whisking constantly.
- Add eggs to soup: Off-heat, whisk the tempered egg mixture into the soup, whisking constantly.
- Add chicken and herbs: Stir the shredded chicken, fresh parsley and dill into the soup. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired.
Video
Notes
- Chicken: I recommend juicier, more flavorful, boneless, skinless chicken thighs. However, you may swap out for chicken breasts (they'll take longer to cook, but make sure not to overcook or they will be dry!) or better yet, use rotisserie chicken. To use shredded rotisserie chicken, add about 3 cups of shredded chicken to the soup after you've added the egg-lemon sauce.
- Omit protein: You can also omit the chicken completely, and/or even the vegetables for a simple Avgolemono Soup recipe.
- Brown rice: You can use brown rice, but it will take about 3 times longer to cook, so be prepared to add additional broth. Alternatively, use leftover cooked rice, cook it in your rice cooker or use microwavable packets and add it to the soup at the end of cooking.
- Pre-cooked rice: Add any pre-cooked rice or grain to the soup after the eggs are tempered. You will need less broth because it won't be absorbed by the rice when cooking. I suggest starting with 6 cups broth then adding more as needed.
- Chicken bouillon:Use bouillon powder, bouillon cubes or better than bouillon. Add it to the soup without dissolving in liquid first. If using cubes, you will need 2, which you crush up and add directly to the broth.
- Add more or less lemon: As written, this recipe is heavily scented with lemon and quite tangy. You can start with less if you wish and add more to taste.
- Vegetables: Add any veggies you like! See post for lots of variation ideas!
- Prep ahead: The chicken can be trimmed, seasoned and refrigerated or seared, the vegetables can be chopped or and even sauteed, the lemons can be juiced and zested, the eggs can be whisked with the lemon juice and refrigerated and the herbs can be minced and refrigerated.
- Storage: Let the soup cool to room temperature, cover and store in your Dutch oven or transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. To freeze, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Place in the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
- To reheat: The eggs will not scramble when reheated! Just make sure to reheat gently over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through, adding additional broth as needed. You can also microwave individual servings.