Do not cook after tying
Egg binds the soup over a gentle heat. Sparkling boiling makes it curdle and makes the previously smooth broth flaky.
Greek Recipe
Avgolemono chicken soup
A whole chicken provides a strong broth and juicy meat. Rice cooks directly in the stock; the tempered egg-lemon mixture only binds the soup after cooking without coagulating.
Total time
1 hr 55 min
Calories
450 kcal
Servings
6 servings
Difficulty
Medium
Why this recipe works
Greek Lemon Chicken Soup with Rice and Egg
Avgolemono means egg and lemon and describes both the sauce and the bond of this soup. The eggs are gradually heated with hot broth before they come into the pot. Afterwards, the soup must not be boiled any more, giving a bright, silky consistency without cream and with clear lemon freshness.
Mediterranean Cuisine
Lunch
One-Pot Recipes
Dinner
Recipe
Avgolemono chicken soup
Avgolemono is a Greek chicken soup with rice, tender chicken and a velvety bond of egg and fresh lemon juice.
Ingredients
6 servings
Method
-
1
Add chicken broth
Place the chicken in a large saucepan with water, onion, carrots, celery, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring to the boil slowly and skim off the rising foam.
-
2
Gently cook the chicken
Cook over a low heat for 60 to 70 minutes just below boiling point until the meat is completely cooked through at the base of the leg. Lift out the chicken and allow to cool slightly.
-
3
Filter broth and remove meat
Pour the stock through a fine sieve and return it to the pot. Remove the skin and bones, pluck the meat into bite-sized fibres and set aside covered.
-
4
Cook rice in the broth
Bring the stock to the boil, add rice and 1 tsp salt and cook over low heat for 15 to 18 minutes until tender. Add chicken again in the last 3 minutes.
-
5
Tempering the egg and lemon
Remove the pot from the heat. Beat the eggs in a large bowl until frothy and stir in the lemon juice. Slowly add four layers of hot broth, beating constantly.
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6
Tie soup velvety
Slowly stir the tempered mixture into the pan. Heat over a very low heat for only 2 to 3 minutes, do not boil at all. Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and dill.
Kitchen know-how
Tips for Avgolemono chicken soup
Slowly adjust the stock
Add several layers of broth to the eggs in a thin stream and beat constantly. This temperature adjustment is the most important step.
Variations
How to adapt this recipe
Replace round grain rice with 150 g Kritharaki and cook in the broth according to the package specification.
Use 1.8 l good chicken stock and 500 g already cooked chicken. Start cooking rice and then thicken as described.
Nutrition per serving
450kcal
25.0 gCarbohydrates
42.0 gProtein
20.0 gFat
Values are estimates and may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, portion size and preparation method used.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Avgolemono chicken soup
Avgo means egg and lemoni lemon. In Greek cuisine, this combination is used as a sauce or as a velvety binding for soups and stews.
The eggs were heated too quickly or the soup boiled after stirring in. Slowly add the hot stock and remove the pan from the heat.
The soup should taste clearly fresh but not aggressively sour. Start with about 80 ml and taste the remaining juice after binding.
Yes, but only over low heat and stirring frequently. The soup must not boil even when heated up, otherwise the egg bond will separate.
Round grain rice gives off some starch and fits particularly well to the velvety consistency. Long grain rice also works, but remains grainier.
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