Soups
Chicken Avgolemono Soup Recipe
Prep
15 minutes
Cook
30 minutes
Yield
4 -5
This delicious chicken Avgolemono Soup Recipe is the perfect comfort food. It's creamy, lemony, and hearty. 🍋
Avgolemono soup recipe is a hearty, comforting Greek soup that is really lemony, creamy, and honestly so dang good. It’s great for when you’re sick, for a chilly day, or when you need something to warm you from the inside out.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Avgolemono Soup Recipe
- Comforting: Nothing says comfort food more than a big, warming bowl of soup
- Flavorful: I LOVE the combination of flavors in this traditional Greek soup. The lemon is so tasty
- Versatile: You can make this soup vegan too to fit your dietary needs
🍲 Ingredients
Chicken Breasts: You can also use chicken thighs here if you prefer darker meat, or you only have thighs on hand.
Lemon Juice: You’ll want to use freshly squeezed lemon juice here. It’ll produce the best, authentic flavor vs. the stuff bought in a bottle at the store.
👩🍳 How to Make Avgolemono Soup
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and set aside. Into a large stock pot add olive oil and turn to medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and sear, 2 minutes per side, then remove to a bowl or plate.
- Turn the heat to medium and add the chopped onion. Cook 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the chicken stock paste and bay leaf. Then, add the water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, once simmering add the chicken breasts (along with any juices) and the rice. Stir and then keep at a simmer at medium-low heat with the lid mostly on the pot and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken breasts and rice are cooked.
- Once the chicken breasts and rice are cooked, turn the heat off and remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board. Leave the lid on the pot to keep the soup warm and use two forks to shred the chicken. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup along with the fresh dill.
- Remove the soup pot from the heat completely. Scoop out 1 cup of stock into a measuring cup and set aside (try to scoop out just the liquid stock).
- Make the avgolemono: Separate the egg whites and egg yolks into two separate bowls. Whisk the egg whites vigorously until they develop a foamy consistency on top. Gradually add egg yolks to the egg whites and continue to whisk to combine. Keep whisking and gradually pour in the lemon juice until combined. Slowly pour the 1 cup of stock into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to combine.
- Add the egg mixture into the pot of soup, constantly stirring until combined. Taste and adjust seasong with salt and pepper, a big pinch of each if desired! Serve in bowls topped with fresh dill, pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle of olive oil.
🗒 Substitutions
- Vegan Version: If you love this soup but are looking for a vegan version, try our Creamy Vegan Greek Lemon Rice Soup (Avgolemono)
- Chicken Stock Paste: You can use chicken broth then instead of water but be sure to adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
🗒 Best served with
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover soup in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. This can be a great soup to meal prep.
🤔 Common Questions
Avgolemono is a Greek soup that is creamy, and lemony, and contains both chicken and rice to make it a hearty, well-rounded dish.
The translation is egg-lemon which perfectly describes two of the main ingredients in this creamy soup.
For Greeks (like me), this soup has gotten me through so many illnesses. It’s hearty, comforting, and perfect for when you are sick as it’s packed with nutrients to help get you better quickly.
Definitely. Avgolemono soup is made with whole, hearty ingredients. It can make a great, well-rounded dish.
Chicken Avgolemono Soup Recipe
Your Greek mommy that is. 😍 Step into my kitchen to learn how to make yummy Greek food. 🍽️💃
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tbsp chicken stock paste
- 8 cups water
- 2 chicken breasts
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup uncooked jasmine rice or other rice of your choice (i.e. basmati, short grain)
- 2 tbsp – 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
For the avgolemono
- 3 eggs, separate egg yolks and whites
- juice of 3 lemons
- 1 cup soup stock
Instructions
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and set aside. Into a large stock pot add olive oil and turn to medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and sear, 2 minutes per side, then remove to a bowl or plate.
- Turn the heat to medium and add the chopped onion. Cook 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the chicken stock paste and bay leaf. Then, add the water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, once simmering add the chicken breasts (along with any juices) and the rice. Stir and then keep at a simmer at medium-low heat with the lid mostly on the pot and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken breasts and rice are cooked.
- Once the chicken breasts and rice are cooked, turn the heat off and remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board. Leave the lid on the pot to keep the soup warm and use two forks to shred the chicken. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup along with the fresh dill.
- Remove the soup pot from the heat completely. Scoop out 1 cup of stock into a measuring cup and set aside (try to scoop out just the liquid stock).
- Make the avgolemono: Separate the egg whites and egg yolks into two separate bowls. Whisk the egg whites vigorously until they develop a foamy consistency on top. Gradually add egg yolks to the egg whites and continue to whisk to combine. Keep whisking and gradually pour in the lemon juice until combined. Slowly pour the 1 cup of stock into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to combine.
- Add the egg mixture into the pot of soup, constantly stirring until combined. Taste and adjust seasong with salt and pepper, a big pinch of each if desired! Serve in bowls topped with fresh dill, pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle of olive oil.
Video
Notes
- If you love this soup but are looking for a vegan version, try our Creamy Vegan Greek Lemon Rice Soup (Avgolemono)
- Don’t have chicken stock paste? You can use chicken broth then instead of water but be sure to adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
This was delicious and so easy to make
thank you so much!
Already made this twice in two weeks! Was craving avgolemono soup and this recipe was easy, delicious and makes for a great meal prep!
you are so sweet, thank you so much alex!
We’ve enjoyed our intro to this soup, made by our local owner/operator from a recipe of her g’ma’s in the old country. Vicki’s is great, and so was yours. Fun, too. Thanks!
thank you so much!!!
So delicious and tastes just like my yiayia used to make! I used 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and I think it elevated the soup even more. My fiancé loved it too, and it’s so easy I will be sure to make this again and again. I think next time I will use a bit more rice to make it a little heartier, maybe 3/4 cup.
Thank you so much for the love, Emily!! Yes please make it your own!! I love that so much!!
Divine! Thanks for demystifying this dish. I’m pleasantly surprised how easy this was to make. Thank you so much!
you are so welcome, grace! Thank you for the support!
This recipe was so simple and easy but high flavor and full of comfort. I added carrots but honestly this could be a base to add even more veggies if you wanted, but it’s perfect as it is. I absolutely loved it and my 2 year old also approves! I could eat it everyday!
Love to hear this, Susan! Thank you so much for the love!
Absolutely amazing!! This is now on our weekly rotation!
thank you so much susan!!!
Delicious! I made this today for lunch and it came out divine 🍋 Thanks 🙏🏼
thank you so much hun!!!
Lemony, hearty, rich and light at the same time. Perfect fall and winter soup!
love to hear it!!!!
I’m really looking forward to making this recipe – it looks so good! Just curious if this can be prepared in a slow cooker and if so, what modifications? Many thanks in advance.
Hey Liz! I have never made it in a slow cooker but I would so everything up until the egg sauce before serving! Not sure if I would add the rice till before serving too as you don’t want it to get too sozzy or cause the soup to overthicken!