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Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono)

Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono)

A comforting and tangy Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono) made with tender chicken thighs, vegetables, and a lemony egg mixture.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Greek
Servings 5 servings
Calories 350 kcal

Equipment

  • large saucepan

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound 2 ounces skinless chicken thighs on the bone
  • ½ small white onion finely chopped
  • 2 fat cloves garlic minced
  • 1 small celery stalk finely chopped
  • 1 medium carrot finely chopped
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 ¼ cup chicken stock
  • 4 cups just-boiled water divided
  • scant ½ cup short or medium-grain white rice rinsed
  • 3 ½ ounces kale stalks removed, leaves shredded
  • 3 extra large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated unwaxed lemon zest
  • 6 tablespoons lemon juice or to taste
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped dill or to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Place the chicken, onion, garlic, celery, carrot, cinnamon, turmeric, bay leaves, stock, and 2 cups (480 ml) hot water in a large saucepan. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.
  • Spoon out the bay leaves and chicken and set aside on a plate to cool. Add the rice to the soup with remaining 2 cups (480ml) hot water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, use your hands to shred the chicken meat from the bones into very small pieces.
  • After the rice has cooked, add the kale and return the chicken to the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes, then take off the heat.
  • In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until the mixture is foamy with no streaks remaining.
  • Pour 2 ladles of broth from the saucepan into a cup. Then grab a whisk and slowly add this broth to the bowl of lemony eggs, a couple of tablespoons at a time, whisking constantly. Don’t pour in too much hot broth too quickly, or you’ll end up with scrambled eggs. Increase to a steady stream once you are halfway through, still whisking, until you’ve incorporated all of it. Slowly drizzle the mixture back into the saucepan, whisking the soup constantly as you do so and incorporating it slowly.
  • Return the pot to low heat, add the dill, and cook for 5 minutes to allow the soup to thicken. Don’t let it come up to more than a gentle simmer and, if it starts to look a bit too thick, simply loosen it with a bit of hot water.
  • Finally, taste and adjust the seasoning, adding a bit more lemon juice, herbs, salt, or black pepper to taste. Serve in warmed bowls with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Notes

Reprinted with permission from “Ripe Figs,” by Yasmin Kahn. Copyright © 2021. Published by W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowlCalories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 25gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 180mgSodium: 800mgPotassium: 500mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 2000IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Avgolemono, chicken soup, comfort food, easy recipe, healthy soup, Lemon Chicken Soup
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