Ingredients
— The Soup Base —
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 large carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken broth (low sodium preferred)
½ cup uncooked white rice (long grain, arborio, or orzo pasta)
2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded (rotisserie chicken works great)
Salt and black pepper to taste
— The Egg-Lemon Sauce (Avgolemono) —
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped (plus extra for garnish)
Lemon slices for serving
Instructions
1. **Sauté Aromatics:** Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5–7 minutes until the vegetables soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
2. **Simmer:** Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the uncooked rice (or orzo). Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
3. **Add Chicken:** Stir in the cooked shredded chicken and remove the pot from the heat completely.
4. **Prepare the Avgolemono:** In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and lemon juice together vigorously until frothy.
5. **Temper the Eggs (Crucial Step):** While whisking the egg mixture constantly with one hand, use a ladle to slowly drizzle about 2 cups of the hot broth from the pot into the bowl. *Do not stop whisking!* This brings the temperature of the eggs up slowly so they don’t scramble.
6. **Combine:** Pour the warm egg-broth mixture back into the main soup pot while stirring constantly. The soup will instantly turn creamy and opaque.
7. **Finish:** Place the pot back on very low heat for 2–3 minutes to warm through (do not let it boil, or the soup may curdle). Stir in the fresh dill and season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with extra lemon slices.
Notes
Rice vs. Orzo: Traditionally, this can be made with either. Orzo pasta cooks slightly faster (about 10 minutes), while rice takes about 20 minutes.
Tempering is Key: Do not skip the tempering step (adding hot broth to the eggs). If you pour cold eggs directly into the boiling soup, you will end up with egg drop soup instead of a creamy sauce.
Reheating: The rice will continue to absorb liquid as it sits. When reheating leftovers, you may need to add a splash of water or extra chicken broth to loosen the consistency.
Make it Creamier: For an even richer texture, you can use 2 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Greek