Description
Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono) is a light, healthy, and comforting soup made with chicken, rice, eggs, lemon, and spinach. This creamy yet dairy-free dish is perfect for a cozy dinner and comes together in just 35 minutes. With bright lemony flavors, it’s a nourishing meal the whole family will love.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 cup Yellow Onion, diced
- ½ cup Carrots, diced
- ½ cup Celery, diced
- 5 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 strips Lemon Peel
- ½ tbsp Dried Oregano
- 2 Bay Leaves (optional)
- 6 cups Chicken Broth (or vegetable broth)
- ½ cup White Rice
- 2 cups Shredded Chicken
- 3–4 oz Baby Spinach
- ¼ cup Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 tbsp Fresh Dill, chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, carrots, and lemon peel. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes until the vegetables soften and the onions are translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the dried oregano, bay leaves, and chicken broth to the pot. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the white rice and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let it cook for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and lemon peel before serving.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and egg yolk. Slowly add a few ladles of hot broth to the egg mixture while whisking constantly. This step is crucial to temper the eggs. Slowly pour the tempered egg mixture back into the soup while whisking.
- Stir in the shredded chicken, spinach, fresh dill, and lemon juice. Continue cooking for a few more minutes until the chicken is heated through and the spinach has wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
- Tempering the eggs is essential to avoid scrambling them when adding to the hot soup.
- Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor, not bottled lemon juice.
- If you’re looking for a vegetarian version, swap the chicken for chickpeas and use vegetable broth.
- The soup stores well in the fridge for up to 3 days, and the flavors improve as it sits.
- Serve with crusty bread or a Greek salad for a complete meal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 202
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 947mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 17g
- Cholesterol: 99mg