Greek Avgolemono Soup Recipe | Lemony Chicken and Rice Soup
Greek Avgolemono Soup, also known as lemony chicken and rice soup, is a comforting and bright recipe perfect for the colder months. This quick and easy version leverages meal prepped rice and chicken to get dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes. The silky tangy broth, which combines lemon and eggs, is the highlight of this recipe. To make it, you'll need cooked and cooled short grain rice, shredded chicken, celery, onion, lemon juice, chicken broth, salt, and pepper.
To prepare the soup, sauté diced onion and celery in olive oil until softened. Add chicken broth, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, prepare the creamy lemon egg puree by blending eggs, lemon juice, and cooked rice. Slowly stream in hot broth to temper the eggs, then pour the mixture back into the pot. Add shredded chicken and cooked rice to the soup, simmer for a few minutes, and remove from heat.
The result is a creamy, thick, and nourishing soup with a refreshing lemony flavor. It's a delightful alternative to traditional chicken noodle soup. For a brothy consistency, you can add more chicken broth. Garnish individual bowls with fresh dill or parsley before serving. This Greek Avgolemono Soup is a satisfying meal that won't weigh you down.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups cooked and cooled short grain rice
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1-2 lemons)
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh dill or parsley for garnish
Cooking steps:
- In a large pot, heat olive oil and sauté diced onion and celery until slightly softened.
- Add chicken broth, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer.
- In a blender, combine eggs, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of cooked rice. Blend until smooth.
- Take two ladles of hot broth and slowly stream it into the blender while blending on medium speed to temper the eggs.
- Pour the lemony egg mixture back into the pot, stirring while doing so.
- Add shredded chicken and the remaining 1 1/4 cups of cooked rice to the pot.
- Stir and simmer for 5-10 minutes to warm up the chicken and rice. Remove from heat.
- Scoop the avgolemono soup into individual bowls and garnish with fresh dill or parsley.