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Greek families have been making vegan avgolemono long before plant-based cooking became a trend. During Sarakosti (Lent), many Greek households prepared comforting fasting dishes that skipped meat, dairy, and eggs while still delivering the warmth and richness everyone gathered around the table for. This avgolemono without eggs uses tahini and white miso as a clever replacement for the creamy body and savory depth of the traditional version. If you’re looking for the classic version, check out my traditional avgolemono soup.
Maria Koutsogiannia
Maria is the creator of FoodByMaria and your go-to Greek food expert for cozy, flavor-packed recipes. Inspired by her Mediterranean roots, she brings traditional Greek flavors, feel-good ingredients, and a whole lot of joy to everyday cooking.
Growing up in a Greek family, these are the kinds of recipes I love most. They use simple ingredients and are transformed into something deeply nourishing and comforting. Greek cooking has always had a beautiful way of adapting while preserving the heart of a dish.
Why You’ll Love This Greek Lemon Rice Soup
Creamy without dairy or eggs
Tahini and white miso create the silky, rich body that defines avgolemono without needing eggs or dairy. You still get that signature velvety texture everyone loves.
30-minute comfort
This soup comes together quickly on the stovetop from start to finish. It’s simpler than traditional avgolemono because there is no egg tempering process to stress about.
Umami depth competitors can’t match
Many egg-free versions rely on chickpea flour or silken tofu, but the tahini and miso combination creates a savoury depth that’s richer and more layered.
Lenten tradition, updated
This isn’t a trendy “veganized” version of a Greek classic. It’s rooted in the long-standing Greek tradition of nistísimo cooking, which is meals designed for fasting periods that still prioritize comfort and flavour.
The Tahini + Miso Technique (Why It Works)
Traditional avgolemono gets its silky consistency from eggs, specifically the fat and protein in egg yolks that create a stable emulsion. Tahini plays a surprisingly similar role because it naturally contains both fats and proteins that help create richness and body.
White miso contributes another important element: naturally occurring glutamates. Those compounds bring savoury depth and complexity, recreating some of the richness that eggs naturally add to traditional recipes.
Together, tahini and miso create a stable emulsion that gives avgolemono without eggs the same creamy consistency people expect from the classic soup. What makes this plant-based Greek lemon soup different is that it isn’t trying to imitate eggs directly; it’s recreating the balance of creaminess and savoury richness that makes avgolemono feel special.
The same principle behind classic avgolemono still applies here: introducing hot broth gradually into the tahini mixture helps everything stay smooth and cohesive while preventing separation.
Ingredient Notes
The recipe card below has the complete ingredient list, but these are the ingredients doing the heavy lifting.
Brown Jasmine Rice
Brown jasmine rice has a slightly nuttier flavour than white rice and holds up beautifully in soup without becoming mushy. I love using Lundberg Family Farms brown jasmine rice because it keeps its texture while still becoming tender and comforting.
Tahini
Not all tahini behaves the same way. Use a smooth, pourable, well-mixed tahini for the creamiest texture. Stiff or separated tahini won’t emulsify as easily and can create a grainier result. If you’re a tahini fan, my tahini sauce is another favourite way to use it.
White Miso Paste
Stick with white (shiro) miso here rather than red or mixed varieties. White miso has a milder flavour and subtle sweetness that complements the bright lemon without overpowering it.
Nutritional Yeast + Tamari
These two ingredients quietly create another layer of savoury flavour in the broth. Without chicken stock and eggs, little additions like these build complexity and depth.
Fresh Herbs
Traditional avgolemono often includes dill, but parsley also works beautifully. Either one brings freshness and brightness to the final bowl.
Tips for the Best Egg-Free Avgolemono
- Temper the tahini mixture by whisking a ladle of hot broth into it before adding it to the soup. This helps prevent clumping or seizing.
- Don’t boil the soup aggressively after adding the creamy mixture. Gentle heat helps the emulsion stay smooth.
- Start with two lemons and adjust to taste. Avgolemono should taste bright and lemony, not just lightly citrusy.
- Egg-free avgolemono thickens as it sits because the rice continues absorbing liquid. Add a splash of broth or water when reheating leftovers.
Serving Suggestions
This soup is comforting enough to enjoy as a meal on its own, but it also fits naturally into a Greek-style meze spread. Serve it with warm, crusty bread or soft pita for dipping alongside a crisp Greek salad.
Finish each bowl with an extra squeeze of lemon, fresh herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil for that final little bit of magic.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat and add a splash of broth or water because the rice will continue absorbing liquid overnight.
You can freeze the soup for up to 3 months, although the rice texture may soften slightly after thawing. For the best texture, freeze the soup base and stir in a fresh tahini-miso-lemon mixture while reheating.
FAQs
A combination of tahini (¼ cup) and white miso paste (1 tablespoon), whisked with fresh lemon juice, replaces the eggs. Tahini provides the creamy body and richness that egg yolks typically contribute, while the miso adds savoury depth. Together, they create the same silky, lemony consistency without eggs.
It can be. Use certified gluten-free tamari instead of soy sauce and make sure your vegetable stock cubes are gluten-free as well. Rice, tahini, vegetables, and lemon are naturally gluten-free. Be sure to choose a miso that does not contain barley.
Brown jasmine rice gives the best texture and nutty flavour, but white jasmine rice, basmati, or even orzo can work beautifully too. Arborio rice will create a thicker, creamier texture.
Both ingredients act as flavour boosters. Nutritional yeast brings subtle richness while tamari adds savoury depth and complexity to help create a fuller broth.
Yes. The flavours actually deepen overnight. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days and add a splash of broth while reheating to loosen the texture.
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Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ cups sweet white onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup celery stalk, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 ½ cups carrot, finely chopped or cut into 1/2 inch rounds (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 vegetable stock cubes (or 2 tbsp vegetable stock paste), organic, no added salt
- 6-7 cups hot water
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- ¾ -1 cup uncooked Brown Jasmine Rice – Lundberg Farms, or other rice of your choice (i.e. basmati)
- season to taste
- ¼ cup fresh parsley or dill, finely chopped
For the Avgolemono:
- 2 tbsp. tahini
- 2 tbsp white miso paste
- ¾ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 cups stock from soup
Garnish:
Instructions
Start Cooking- Into a large stock pot add your olive oil, onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes, make sure to stir occasionally to avoid any browning or burning. You don’t want the vegetables to develop any colour, just want them translucent and soft.
- Once your veggies have cooked down for 10 minutes you can add your veg stock cubes, water, nutritional yeast and tamari or soy sauce.
- Bring this mixture to a boil, lower heat and add your rice. Cook for around 20 minutes with lid on or until your rice is cooked.
- While your soup is cooking prepare your Miso Tahini Lemon Sauce simply by adding all your ingredients into a blender (2 cups of stock from the soup – avoid scooping out rice, tahini, white miso & lemon juice) and blending till smooth. NOTE: let your stock from soup cool for a few minutes in the blender before blending with other ingredients.
- Remove pot from the heat once it’s ready and begin stirring in your lemon sauce. Continue stirring till well combined. Add your fresh dill or parsley and stir just once more.
- Give your soup a little taste test then add necessary seasoning. Enjoy hot with more fresh parsley or dill!
281 people are discussing this recipe. Join in
This soup is so flavorful and so easy to whip up. It will be on repeat for sure!!!
YES!!! Thanks, Kelsey! This means a lot to me!
This soup is out of this world!!! Just perfect! ❤️
Thank you so much Milica! This means so much to us!
This is an insanely delicious and easy to make soup. Easily my new winter go-to. Thanks Maria! Love what you do!
Hey Dory, thanks so much for the love! We love this recipe so so so so much!
This soup was so delicious and simple to make! Light, but also filling. Tangy, warm and savory. Planning on making your spanakopita next! Can’t wait 😋
OOO!! Yes, please let me know how it foes Kayla!!
So delicious and comforting 👌
Thank you so much Krys! Grateful you liked this as much as us!
so amazing, tastes just like the real thing i ate growing up
so easy and quick to make, i could have bowl after bowl!!
Will definitely be making this again
This makes me so happy, Jacqueline! Thanks so much for the love!
Loved the soup! The recipe is easy to follow – Its hearty, creamy and wonderful.
Thank you so much hun!
My husband is Greek and we both love his mom’s traditional avgolemono soup, but as we have both decided to eat more plant-based at home, we were thrilled to give this recipe a try! I can honestly say that it is now one of our favorite soups, and one that we keep regularly in rotation in our home. We love it!!
YESS!! Maria, this makes me so happy. Thank you so much for your love, I am grateful you both love this recipe as much as we doo!!!!
This soup is amazing!!! It’s so warming and flavorful!! Will definitely be making this often.
Thank you so much for the love Aleen! It’s a favourite here!
Hey!
This looks awesome… well, all does ;·)
Thanks for sharing all these nice recipes.
I got a quick question for you: the rice is brown. You just add it? There’s no need to soak it the night before?
I’m also greek and love food, vegan is been treating me too good these 4 years, so keep it up and give us moreeeee!!!
Happy 2020!
Kat
Hey Kat! I just added it, yes but you can absolutely soak after rinsing!
Great! Thanks ;·) I will try it today