Avgolemono Soup Recipe

Soups

Chicken Avgolemono Soup Recipe

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Prep

15 minutes

Cook

30 minutes

Yield

4 -5

This delicious chicken Avgolemono Soup Recipe is the perfect comfort food. It's creamy, lemony, and hearty. 🍋

Avgolemono soup recipe is a hearty, comforting Greek soup that is really lemony, creamy, and honestly so dang good. It’s great for when you’re sick, for a chilly day, or when you need something to warm you from the inside out.

Avgolemono soup in a white bowl

❤️ Why You’ll Love Avgolemono Soup Recipe

  • Comforting: Nothing says comfort food more than a big, warming bowl of soup
  • Flavorful: I LOVE the combination of flavors in this traditional Greek soup. The lemon is so tasty
  • Versatile: You can make this soup vegan too to fit your dietary needs

🍲 Ingredients

Chicken Breasts: You can also use chicken thighs here if you prefer darker meat, or you only have thighs on hand.

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Lemon Juice: You’ll want to use freshly squeezed lemon juice here. It’ll produce the best, authentic flavor vs. the stuff bought in a bottle at the store.

Avgolemono soup in a white bowl with a spoon in it

👩‍🍳 How to Make Avgolemono Soup

  1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and set aside. Into a large stock pot add olive oil and turn to medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and sear, 2 minutes per side, then remove to a bowl or plate.
  2. Turn the heat to medium and add the chopped onion. Cook 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  3. Stir in the chicken stock paste and bay leaf. Then, add the water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, once simmering add the chicken breasts (along with any juices) and the rice. Stir and then keep at a simmer at medium-low heat with the lid mostly on the pot and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken breasts and rice are cooked.
  4. Once the chicken breasts and rice are cooked, turn the heat off and remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board. Leave the lid on the pot to keep the soup warm and use two forks to shred the chicken. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup along with the fresh dill.
  5. Remove the soup pot from the heat completely. Scoop out 1 cup of stock into a measuring cup and set aside (try to scoop out just the liquid stock).
  6. Make the avgolemono: Separate the egg whites and egg yolks into two separate bowls. Whisk the egg whites vigorously until they develop a foamy consistency on top. Gradually add egg yolks to the egg whites and continue to whisk to combine. Keep whisking and gradually pour in the lemon juice until combined.  Slowly pour the 1 cup of stock into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to combine.
  7. Add the egg mixture into the pot of soup, constantly stirring until combined. Taste and adjust seasong with salt and pepper, a big pinch of each if desired! Serve in bowls topped with fresh dill, pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle of olive oil.


🗒 Substitutions

  • Vegan Version: If you love this soup but are looking for a vegan version, try our Creamy Vegan Greek Lemon Rice Soup (Avgolemono)
  • Chicken Stock Paste: You can use chicken broth then instead of water but be sure to adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.


🗒 Best served with

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Store leftover soup in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. This can be a great soup to meal prep.

🤔 Common Questions

What is avgolemono made of?

Avgolemono is a Greek soup that is creamy, and lemony, and contains both chicken and rice to make it a hearty, well-rounded dish.

What is avgolemono in Greek to English?

The translation is egg-lemon which perfectly describes two of the main ingredients in this creamy soup.

Is avgolemono good for colds?

For Greeks (like me), this soup has gotten me through so many illnesses. It’s hearty, comforting, and perfect for when you are sick as it’s packed with nutrients to help get you better quickly.

Is avgolemono good for you?

Definitely. Avgolemono soup is made with whole, hearty ingredients. It can make a great, well-rounded dish.

Avgolemono soup in a white bowl

Chicken Avgolemono Soup Recipe

4.95 from 52 votes
This delicious chicken Avgolemono Soup Recipe is the perfect comfort food. It's creamy, lemony, and hearty. 🍋
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Greek-Inspired
Servings 4 -5
Calories 373 kcal
I’m Your Mommy Now

Your Greek mommy that is. 😍 Step into my kitchen to learn how to make yummy Greek food. 🍽️💃

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 tbsp chicken stock paste
  • 8 cups water
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup uncooked jasmine rice or other rice of your choice (i.e. basmati)
  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill

For the avgolemeno

  • 4 eggs, separate egg yolks and whites
  • juice of 3 lemons
  • 1 cup soup stock

Garnish

Shop Ingredients on Jupiter

Instructions
 

  • Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and set aside. Into a large stock pot add olive oil and turn to medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and sear, 2 minutes per side, then remove to a bowl or plate.
  • Turn the heat to medium and add the chopped onion. Cook 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  • Stir in the chicken stock paste and bay leaf. Then, add the water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, once simmering add the chicken breasts (along with any juices) and the rice. Stir and then keep at a simmer at medium-low heat with the lid mostly on the pot and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken breasts and rice are cooked.
  • Once the chicken breasts and rice are cooked, turn the heat off and remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board. Leave the lid on the pot to keep the soup warm and use two forks to shred the chicken. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup along with the fresh dill.
  • Remove the soup pot from the heat completely. Scoop out 1 cup of stock into a measuring cup and set aside (try to scoop out just the liquid stock).
  • Make the avgolemono: Separate the egg whites and egg yolks into two separate bowls. Whisk the egg whites vigorously until they develop a foamy consistency on top. Gradually add egg yolks to the egg whites and continue to whisk to combine. Keep whisking and gradually pour in the lemon juice until combined.  Slowly pour the 1 cup of stock into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to combine.
  • Add the egg mixture into the pot of soup, constantly stirring until combined. Taste and adjust seasong with salt and pepper, a big pinch of each if desired! Serve in bowls topped with fresh dill, pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle of olive oil.

Video

Notes

  • If you love this soup but are looking for a vegan version, try our Creamy Vegan Greek Lemon Rice Soup (Avgolemono)
  • Don’t have chicken stock paste? You can use chicken broth then instead of water but be sure to adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 18.4g | Protein: 39.2g | Fat: 15.8g | Saturated Fat: 3.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7.9g | Cholesterol: 285.6mg | Sodium: 766.6mg | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 4.1g
Review This Recipe Let us know how it was!
Clara Price

5 stars
Such a comforting recipe on a cold day!

Maria Koutsogiannis

Thank you so much, Clara!

Christy Gonzales

5 stars
This recipe brings back such yummy and comforting memories of my grandmother’s soup! Thank you so much for sharing. It is now on the soup rotation 😊

Maria Koutsogiannis

this makes me so happy, thank you Christy!

Kristy

5 stars
Made this soup for dinner tonight and it was delicious! It has the perfect amount of lemon flavour. My Greek boyfriend enjoyed this soup a lot and we both can’t wait to have the leftover soup for lunch tomorrow!

Maria Koutsogiannis

YES!! The leftovers are even better IMO!

Colleen Brophy

5 stars
Made this for friends and they were all obsessed!!

Maria Koutsogiannis

this makes me so happy, thank you colleen!

Meredith Caspell

5 stars
made this when hosting family for lunch and it was such a hit everyone went back for seconds! I doubled the recipe exactly and it turned out great to have some leftovers, it was just as good of not better on day 2!

Maria Koutsogiannis

YES MEREDITH! I love this so much. Thanks for your support.

SUSAN SHAW

5 stars
One taste and I’m hooked. So flavorful without being overbearing with lemon. Excellent tummy warming soup. Yummy 😋

Maria Koutsogiannis

Thank you so much for the love, Susan! I love this soup so much.

Dena Lopez

5 stars
This was fantastic and brought back so many memories of my Greek family meals. This tastes the most authentic from the recipes I’ve tried to recreate. Thanks so much, my family loved it.

Maria Koutsogiannis

thank you so much, Dena! This means alot to me! You’re the best!

Amanda

5 stars
I made this recipe without changing anything and it came out perfect! Have tried other avgolemono recipes before but nothing ever came out as creamy as I wanted it to but this one was amazing

Maria Koutsogiannis

hehe this makes me so happy! Thanks my love!

Ben Myhre

5 stars
What a comforting, creamy soup with a lemon twist. Thank you so much for sharing!

Andrew

5 stars
Wow my wife made me this soup and it was amazing

Maria Koutsogiannis

oh I am so glad to hear you enjoyed this one!! it’s one of our favs!!!

Rachel Augusty

5 stars
wow wow wow!! so very delicious! creamy, lemony and just so comforting 🥰 a new staple in our home!

Maria Koutsogiannis

thank you so much for the love!!!

4.95 from 52 votes (22 ratings without comment)

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