This light lemony chicken soup is usually characterized as a winter meal, but with an extra squeeze of lemon and fresh salad on the side, it works perfectly for summer months as well.
Go ahead and try the Greek Avgolemono soup. Satisfaction is guaranteed!
Ingredients
- 1 medium chicken (1.2-1.5 kg)*
- 1 medium onion
- 1 medium carrot
- salt
- pepper
- 200-220g short-grain rice (for example Arborio)
- 2 eggs
- 1 lemon
* See bonus tips below
Instructions
- Peal the onion and one medium carrot, and chop them coarsely.
- Add the chicken to a large pot. Pour 1.5 liters of water to cover the meat. Add chopped onion and carrot and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to boil and let it cook. Skim the fatty foam forming on the surface with a spoon.
- Once all of the foam is removed, lower the heat to medium low, and let it cook for max of one hour and a half. The chicken can be easily removed from bones when the chicken is cooked.
- Remove cooked chicken and vegetables by straining and pour the chicken stew into a soup pot.
- Add rice to the chicken stew and let it cook until done.
- In the meantime, separate the chicken meat from the bones and cut into bite size pieces.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until foamy, add the juice from the one lemon and whisk again to incorporate into the egg foam. Slowly add one ladle of soup broth while whisking constantly. Repeat with one more ladle of soup. Pour the egg-lemon mixture back into the soup pot while stirring constantly to avoid curdling.
- Check for pepper and salt, adjust to taste, and remove from heat. If you prefer less dense soup, add some water, bring to boil and adjust the seasoning.
- Serve topped with shredded chicken and ground pepper, and warm piece of bread. For an extra refreshing kick add a squeeze of lemon.*
* See bonus tips below
Bonus Tips for Greek Egg-Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono)
- If you want to cut down the cooking time of the avgolemono, you can use the store bought chicken broth (1.5 liters) and 500-600 grams of cooked chicken breasts (or any other part you prefer). Simply warm the broth and start from step 5 above.
- Excellent side dish is a fresh Greek salad and home made bread.