Avgolemono — Greek Egg-Lemon Chicken Soup

Avgolemono — Greek Egg-Lemon Chicken Soup

Greek Non Fasting
Non-Fasting Recipe: This dish contains meat, dairy, or eggs and is intended for feast days and non-fasting periods.

The Greek mother of comforting soups — poached chicken and rice in broth, finished with a silken
thickening of egg yolks whisked with lemon juice. Light but nourishing, sharp but rich. The traditional
Greek cure for colds, hangovers, and melancholy.

FASTING LEVEL: Non-Fasting (chicken, eggs)

SERVINGS: 6
TIME: 1 hour 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 whole chicken (1.5 kg)
- 3 litres water
- 2 carrots, whole
- 1 large onion, halved
- 2 stalks celery
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
- 150 g long-grain rice or orzo
- 4 large eggs (or 6 egg yolks for a richer soup)
- Juice of 2-3 lemons (to taste)
- Salt and white pepper
- Fresh dill, for garnish

METHOD:
1. Place chicken in a large pot with water, carrots, onion, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns, and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a simmer, skim foam. Cook gently 60-75 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
2. Remove chicken; cool slightly. Strain broth, discard aromatics. Return broth to the pot.
3. Shred chicken meat; discard skin and bones. Set aside.
4. Bring broth to a simmer. Add rice or orzo. Cook 15 minutes until tender.
5. Make the avgolemono: whisk eggs with lemon juice until foamy.
6. Remove soup from heat. Slowly ladle 3 cups of hot broth into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. This is tempering — absolutely critical to prevent curdling.
7. Pour the tempered mixture back into the pot, stirring constantly. Place over lowest heat for 1-2 minutes only — never let it boil. The soup will thicken to a silky consistency.
8. Return shredded chicken to the pot. Taste and adjust lemon, salt, and white pepper.
9. Serve immediately. Top with fresh dill.

NOTES:
- Never boil after adding the eggs. This is the only real rule. Boiled soup means curdled eggs and a ruined dish.
- Use more lemon than you think — the soup should have a distinct citrus punch.
- For an even more luxurious version, use egg yolks only (6 instead of 4 whole eggs).
- Traditional Greek avgolemono uses short rice. Orzo is the easy substitute and works beautifully.

NUTRITION (per serving, approximate):
Calories: 340 | Protein: 32 g | Carbohydrates: 24 g | Fat: 10 g | Fibre: 1 g

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