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This Homemade Greek Avgolemono Soup Recipe combines fresh veggies, shredded chicken, and tender rice or orzo in a bright, herbaceous broth. Ready to eat in under an hour, it’s a filling comfort food perfect for cold weather and busy weeknights!
High-protein and cooked in one pot, this Greek Avgolemono soup recipe is dairy-free and easy to make gluten-free, too!
What Is Avgolemono Soup?
Avgolemono, pronounced ah-vgo-le-mono, is not actually a soup but refers to a Greek sauce. The sauce is a silky, fragrant mixture made with eggs, lemon, and warm broth and is used for a variety of recipes from avgolemono soup to roast chicken, vegetables, and even grape leaves.
Bold in flavor, avgolemono sauce is what sets this Greek soup apart from other recipes like classic chicken soup and chicken and rice soup, infusing it with a bright lemony taste. I love to make this recipe during the cold winter months because it’s super warm and filling. However, it’s delicious any time of the year!
Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
*Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and ingredient list!
- Veggies: Onions, carrots, celery, and garlic form the base of the soup, adding a boost of flavor and nutrients.
- Chicken: I use boneless skinless chicken breast. However, you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs. Or, save time, and use leftover rotisserie chicken!
- Chicken Broth: I use homemade chicken broth, but storebought it just fine. I recommend using low-sodium broth to avoid having too much sodium in your soup.
- Herbs and Spices: You’ll need a bay leaf, salt, pepper, dried oregano, chopped parsley, and chopped dill.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed is best!
- Egg Yolks: This is key to creating the avgolemono sauce. Some recipes call for a whole egg, but I like to use just the yolks are the egg whites are more likely to curdle.
- Orzo Pasta: I use regular orzo, but you can substitute gluten-free orzo or arborio rice if you need to keep this avgolemono soup recipe gluten-free.
Where I Buy My Chicken
- 100% Grass-Fed, Grass-Finished Beef
- Free-Range Organic Chicken
- Humanely Raised Pork
- Wild-Caught Seafood
Delivered to your door! The latest ButcherBox deal can be found right here!
How to Make This Greek Avgolemono Soup Recipe
- Sauté: Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Once hot, add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cook until the veggies soften.
- Add the chicken: Add the garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper, and cook for another minute. Then, add the bay leaves, chicken, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer: Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the chicken cooks through.
- Cook the rice or orzo: Remove the chicken breasts and bay leaves. Then, add the rice or orzo, and cook according to the package instructions. Stir frequently to prevent the orzo from sticking!
- Shred the chicken: Use two forks to shred the chicken to pieces, and add it back to the pot.
- Prepare the lemon egg sauce: Whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice in a bowl. Remove two ladles (about a cup) of hot broth from the pot. Pour the soup over the egg mixture to temper it. Whisk until combined. Then, add the mixture to the pot, and remove it from the heat.
- Season: Stir in the fresh parsley and dill, and season to taste. Enjoy warm!
Kitchen Tools I Use
Tips and Tricks
- Avoid scrambled eggs. Make sure to temper the eggs. Otherwise, they will scramble, and you’ll end up with egg drop soup!
- Make the soup creamier. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of butter with the olive oil.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Let your egg come to room temperature before you begin to prevent it from curdling.
- Rinse the rice. If using rice, soak it in water for about 15 minutes or so until you are able to break one grain of rice easily. This will help it cook quickly!
How to Store
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze cooled soup for up to 3 months. To do so, transfer leftovers to an airtight container, leaving plenty of space at the top for the soup to expand. Or, pour the soup into an ice cube tray, and freeze until solid. Then, transfer the cubes to a sealable bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat leftovers in the microwave or in a pot over medium heat on the stovetop. Avoid boiling, or the eggs will curdle! Add more broth as needed.
FAQs
What does avgolemono taste like?
Avgolemono is silky and creamy with a savory, herbaceous flavor and a bright lemon taste.
What does avgolemono mean in Greek?
When translated, avgolemono means egg-lemon, which are the main two ingredients in this soup.
What should I serve with this avgolemono Greek soup recipe?
You can easily serve this recipe on its own as a complete meal. Of course, you can always add sides and starters like Greek lentil salad, a chopped Greek salad, or pita bread, too. Or, enjoy your avgolemono soup as a starter with main courses like sheet pan Greek meatballs or Greek chicken kebabs.
More Soup Recipes To Try
- Gluten Free Matzo Ball Soup
- Healthy Italian Wedding Soup
- Easy Roasted Poblano Chicken Soup
- Detox Chicken and Kale Soup
Watch The Video:
Greek Avgolemono Soup Recipe
Make this Greek avgolemono soup recipe in one pot in under an hour for a silky, bright, lemony-tasting comfort food soup!
Ingredients
- 1 onion finely diced
- 3 carrots finely diced
- 3 celery stalks , finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon salt more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black Pepper more to taste
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 pound chicken breast
- 8 cups chicken Broth add more as needed
- 8 ounces (1 cup) orzo
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill more for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven and cook the onion, carrot and celery for 8-10 minutes over medium heat until softened.1 onion, 3 carrots, 3 celery stalks
- Add the garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook for another minute, then add the bay leaves, chicken, and chicken stock.3 cloves garlic, 8 cups chicken Broth, 2 bay leaf, 2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black Pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 pound chicken breast
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes. (was around 18-20 min when took the chicken out)
- Take out the chicken breasts and bay leaves. Add the orzo to the pot and continue to cook for 10 minutes (according to package instructions), stir often so orzo doesn’t stick.8 ounces (1 cup) orzo
- Shred the chicken with two forks and add it back to the pot.
- Prepare the lemon egg sauce while your orzo is cooking: Whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice in a bowl. Take out 2 ladles of soup (about 1 cup) and pour it over the egg-lemon mixture to temper it. Whisk until combined. Add this mix to the pot and remove from heat. NOTE: Make sure you don't skip this tempering the eggs step as it is essential to avoid scrambling/curdling! We don’t want that for this soup!2 egg yolks, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- Stir in the fresh parsley and fresh dill, adjust the salt and pepper as desired, garnish and serve. More salt, pepper, and fresh lemon as desired!2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons chopped dill
Notes
Notes:
- Make sure you don’t skip the tempering the eggs step -it’s essential to avoid scrambling. You don’t want to end up with egg drop soup.
- Make the soup creamier and richer by adding 1-2 tablespoons of butter with the olive oil.
- The orzo will soak up some of the liquid so you may need to add some chicken broth when reheating.
- Feel free to substitute the orzo with rice. Just be sure to rinse the rice well. It helps to soak the rice in water for about 15 minutes or so or until you are able to break one grain of rice easily. The rice will cook quickly and evenly.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze cooled soup for up to 3 months. Pour it into an airtight container, leaving plenty of space at the top for the soup to expand. Or, pour the soup into an ice cube tray, and freeze until solid. Then, transfer the cubes to a sealable bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat leftovers in the microwave or in a pot over medium heat on the stovetop. Avoid boiling, or the eggs will curdle! Add more broth as needed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 381kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 35gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 3045mgPotassium: 686mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 405IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 2mg
