A light and bright Greek style lemon chicken soup with rice that is thickened with eggs.
I can’t believe that we just had snow a few days ago when we are well into April! Well, that means that it’s time for some soup and a bright, longing for spring, soup, an avgolemono soup! Avgolemono soup is a Greek style lemon chicken soup with rice that is thickened with eggs. The recipe could not be easier where you pretty much just cook the rice in a bunch of chicken broth before adding the chicken and lemon along with the egg thickener. The egg is added after tempering it first by slowly whisking some hot broth into the eggs and then whisking the mixture back into the soup. The eggs are added this way so that they do not ‘cook’, turn white and stringy, like an egg drop soup, when added to the broth. Given how simple this soup is, I like to use quality ingredients including a tasty homemade chicken broth or chicken stock but store bought also works. Here’s hoping for some warmer spring weather and until it arrives I will be enjoying some of this avgolemono Greek style lemon chicken soup!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 6 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
- 1/2 cup arborio rice
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups cooked chicken
- 2 lemons, juice and zest
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste (optional)
- salt to taste
Directions
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add the onions and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth and rice, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is cooked, al-dente, about 15-20 minutes.
- Slowly pour 1 cup of the hot broth into the eggs while whisking and then slowly whisk the egg mixture into the soup.
- Add the chicken, lemon juice and zest and cook to warm, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, mix 1/4 cup of the hot broth with the miso paste and then mix the mixture back into the soup before seasoning with salt.
