Avgolemono
Bone-in chicken thighs, carrot and celery stick come together in this Greek chicken — 65 minutes, 7 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 7 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for large pot and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (5)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Put the chicken, halved onion, carrot, celery and bay leaf in a pot, cover with the water, bring to a gentle simmer and skim the foam, then cook for 35 to 40 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through to at least 74C.
- Lift out the chicken to cool, strain the broth and return it to the pot, discarding the vegetables, then shred the meat off the bones into bite-sized pieces.
- Bring the strained broth back to a simmer, add the rice and cook for about 15 minutes until tender, then reduce the heat to very low.
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl until frothy, then whisk in the lemon juice until smooth and pale.
- Temper the eggs by slowly ladling in two or three cups of hot broth while whisking constantly so they warm without scrambling.
- Pour the egg-lemon mixture back into the pot and stir gently over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until the soup thickens slightly, without letting it boil or it will curdle.
- Return the shredded chicken to warm through, season with salt and white pepper, stir in the dill and serve with extra lemon.
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
- Garides Saganaki Seafood
- Moussaka Beef
- Honey Yogurt Cheesecake Dessert
- Stuffed Lamb Tomatoes Lamb
Tips & common questions
How long does Avgolemono take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 11 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 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.