Avgolemono Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Base ingredients
01 -
2 chicken breasts (about 12 oz / 350 g total), perfect for shredding
02 -
¾ cup orzo pasta (175 g), the tiny rice-shaped pasta that makes this soup so hearty
03 -
6 cups homemade or good-quality chicken stock (1.5 liters), the heart of this soup
→ Fresh produce & aromatics
04 -
1 medium onion, diced into small pieces
05 -
1 medium carrot, cut into a fine dice
06 -
2-3 celery stalks, finely diced
07 -
2-3 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
08 -
Fresh dill, a generous handful for that authentic Greek touch
→ For the signature avgolemono sauce
09 -
2 fresh egg yolks, at room temperature
10 -
Juice of 1 large lemon, freshly squeezed
→ Pantry essentials
11 -
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
12 -
2 bay leaves
13 -
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Instructions:
01 -
Warm up your olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Toss in your diced onion, carrot, and celery. Let them cook together for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they become soft and fragrant.
02 -
Add the chopped garlic and cook just until you can smell its aroma, about a minute. Drop in those bay leaves, nestle in the chicken breasts, and pour in your chicken stock.
03 -
Bring everything to a gentle boil, then lower the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and let it simmer peacefully for 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
04 -
Fish out the chicken breasts and bay leaves. Add the orzo to the simmering broth and let it cook for 10 minutes, until just tender.
05 -
While the pasta cooks, use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces, then add it back to the pot.
06 -
In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and lemon juice until smooth. Here comes the tricky part: slowly whisk in 1-2 ladles of hot soup to temper the eggs (this prevents them from scrambling). Pour this mixture back into the pot and cook for 5 more minutes, allowing the soup to thicken slightly.
07 -
Stir in that lovely fresh dill, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with extra dill if you're feeling fancy. Serve immediately while it's hot and comforting.
# Notes:
01 -
This classic Greek soup gets its signature creamy texture from a careful blend of eggs and lemon juice, known as avgolemono sauce.
02 -
The key to success is tempering the egg-lemon mixture properly to prevent curdling.