Cozy Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono-Inspired)

Greek lemon chicken soup has always held a special place in my heart. It’s one of my all-time favorite soups—comforting, flavorful, and incredibly satisfying. This version is inspired by my dad’s classic recipe, with a little twist of my own.

You might even learn something new while making it: a cooking method called tempering. It sounds fancy, but it’s simple. You slowly add hot broth to raw egg yolks so they blend smoothly into the soup without turning into scrambled eggs. It creates a creamy, rich texture without any dairy.

This soup comes together quickly, especially if you’re starting with cooked rice and chicken. I often use shredded rotisserie chicken to keep things easy. Whether you’re serving it as an appetizer or a cozy main dish, it’s a bowlful of sunshine I hope you’ll love as much as I do.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 8 cups chicken broth
• 2 garlic chives, minced
• Juice of 3 lemons (plus extra wedges for serving)
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 cups cooked basmati rice (or your favorite variety)
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Optional Garnishes: sliced green onion, a hard-boiled egg slice, toasted crostini, lemon wedges

Instructions

1. In a large pot, bring the chicken broth and minced garlic chives to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it boils, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and lemon juice.
3. Turn off the heat under the pot. Carefully ladle about 4 ounces of hot broth into the egg-lemon mixture while whisking constantly. This tempers the yolks and keeps them smooth when added to the full pot.
4. Slowly pour the egg-lemon mixture into the pot, whisking to combine.
5. Stir in the cooked rice and shredded chicken. Add white pepper and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
6. Serve right away while the soup is still hot and frothy. Garnish with your favorite toppings.

Notes on Garnishes

Toasted Crostini:
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Slice a baguette into thin rounds (about 1/4 inch thick). Lightly brush both sides with melted butter or olive oil. Arrange on a baking sheet or skillet and toast for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crisp.

Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Gently lower the eggs into the boiling water and cook for 13 minutes. Transfer the eggs to an ice bath to cool, which also makes peeling easier. For clean slices, use an egg slicer.

I’d love to see your version of this comforting soup! Follow me on Instagram at @Rachel.Master.Kitchen and tag me when you make it. Enjoy every spoonful!

Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup

Avgolemono-Inspired

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 8 cups chicken broth
• 2 garlic chives minced
• 3 lemons juiced + wedges for serving
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 cups cooked basmati rice or whatever rice you prefer
• 2 cups cooked chicken shredded (I used shredded rotisserie chicken)
• 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt + more to your liking
• Optional garnish sliced green onion, hard boiled egg slice, toasted crostini and lemon wedges

Instructions

 

• Combine broth and garlic in a large pot over medium/high heat. Bring to a boil. Once starts to boil, lower heat to a simmer.
• Combine egg yolks and lemon juice in a small bowl.
• Turn off the heat. Add about 4 oz. or 1 ladle of the hot broth to the egg yolks and lemon juice bowl, whip together with a whisk. Adding a small amount of hot liquid will temper the egg yolks so they do not scramble when you add to the rest fo the soup. Whip this mixture into the large pot with the rest fo the broth.
• Immediately add the cooked rice and chicken. Then season with white pepper and salt. Adjust seasoning to your liking.
• Serve immediately while frothy. Recommend garnishing with sliced green onions, a hard boiled egg slice, toasted crostinis and a lemon wedge.
• *To make toasted crostinis: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut a baguette into 1/4 inch rounds. Brush each side with melted butter or oil. Toast on a sheet pan or in a cast iron skillet for ~15 minutes. Flip half way through until they are a nice golden brown color.
• *To make perfectly boiled eggs: Bring water to a boil. Gently add eggs to the boiling water. Cook for 13 minutes. Remove eggs from the hot water into an ice bath. This allows the shells to slid off easily. To get nice rounds, recommend cutting with an egg slicer.

Keyword Easy, Gluten-free, Soup