Avgolemono Soup
If you've got chicken broth, cooked shredded chicken and short-grain rice, you're most of the way to this Greek chicken: about 60 minutes of cooking across 6 steps. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 6 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for large pot and saucepan. At easy difficulty across 6 steps, it's a good one for a busy evening.
What you'll need
Shopping list (4)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Bring the chicken broth to a gentle boil in a large pot, stir in the rinsed rice, and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes until the rice is tender.
- Stir the shredded cooked chicken into the broth and warm it through for 2 to 3 minutes, then lower the heat to its faintest setting so the liquid stops boiling, since a rolling boil will curdle the egg later.
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the juice of both lemons until smooth and slightly frothy to form the avgolemono base.
- Temper the eggs by slowly ladling about two cups of the hot broth into the egg mixture while whisking nonstop, so the eggs heat gradually and stay silky instead of scrambling.
- Pour the tempered mixture back into the pot off the heat and stir gently; the soup should turn pale, creamy and lightly thickened without ever returning to a boil.
- Season with salt and pepper, stir in the olive oil and chopped dill, and serve right away while hot and velvety.
You'll use: Large pot · Saucepan · Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
What to serve with Avgolemono Soup
- Garides Saganaki Seafood
- Moussaka Beef
- Honey Yogurt Cheesecake Dessert
- Stuffed Lamb Tomatoes Lamb
Tips & common questions
How long does Avgolemono Soup take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 8 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of eggs?
Try ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Avgolemono Soup is an original Greek recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Avgolemono soup.jpg by robin.norwood, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.