Greek Lemon Rice Soup Recipe

This Lemon Chicken Soup recipe is just like the avgolomeno at Greek diners. It comes together in one pot – no blender or pre-cooked chicken or rice needed.

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Lemon Chicken Rice Soup (often called by it’s Greek name of avgolemono), is a huge tradition here in metro Detroit.

No trip to a coney island (what you might just call a diner elsewhere in the country) is complete without this thick but light flavored, cozy soup.

Unlike others on the internet, this recipe doesn’t require having pre-cooked chicken or rice on hand – it all comes together in one pot at the same time! You also won’t need a blender.

What is avgolemono soup?

Avgolemono soup is a traditional Greek dish made with chicken broth, rice and lemon juice, and thickened with eggs. The result is a creamy (without any dairy!), tangy soup that’s both comforting and refreshing.

Avgolemono Soup Recipe Ingredients

• olive oil – for sauteeing the celery and onion.
• celery – adds a subtle sweetness to the base of this avgolemono soup recipe.
• onion – the most aromatic base flavor for the soup.
• chicken – boneless, skinless chicken breast serves as the main protein component. 12 ounces may be 1 very large breast, 2 small ones, or 1-1/2 medium ones.
• chicken stock – the backbone of the soup.
• rice – long grain white rice adds texture and bulk to the soup, and thickens it.
• salt and pepper – simple seasoning to enhance the flavor.
• eggs – used to thicken and enrich the soup and create the creamy and velvety texture that avgolemono is known for.
• lemon juice – gives Greek lemon chicken soup it’s signature bright lemony flavor.
• dill – an optional garnish that adds some fresh visual appeal and a pop of herby flavor at the end.

How to Make Greek Lemon Soup

1. SAUTE. Cook the celery and onion in a bit of oil until they are slightly softened.

2. COOK CHICKEN. Add the chicken, chicken stock, rice, salt and pepper to the pot. Bring it to a boil and then cover and reduce the heat. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through.

3. SHRED. Carefully remove the chicken from the pot, transfer it to a cutting board and shred or chop it up, then return the chicken to the pot.

4. WHISK. In a large liquid measuring cup, whisk the eggs and lemon juice until smooth.

5. TEMPER. While whisking, slowly add a ladle of the hot soup mixture into the eggs to “temper” them (slowly raise their temperature to be closer to that of the soup, so that when you add the eggs to the soup, they incorporate and get creamy rather than scramble). Then, slowly add the tempered egg mixture into the soup pot, stirring constantly while you add.

6. FINISH. Continue cooking the soup over low heat until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Serve the soup garnished with dill, if you want!

How to Make this Lemon Rice Soup Recipe ahead of time

While some recipes recommend that to prepare avgolemono soup ahead of time, you should make the soup without the egg mixture, then add the egg mixture later, I haven’t found that to be necessary. Frankly, it’s extra work that’s not needed.

To make this lemon rice soup ahead of time, I’ve had great success simply preparing the soup as written, then transferring it to a container and placing it in the fridge with the lid off. Once the soup is completely chilled to fridge temperature, then you can place the lid on.

When ready to serve, reheat the soup over low heat, stirring occasionally. You will also likely need to add extra chicken broth or water, as the soup thickens substantially after being refrigerated.

Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe Substitutions & Variations

• START WITH COOKED CHICKEN – If you have leftover cooked chicken or even some rotisserie chicken, you can use it for this Greek lemon soup. Follow the recipe below, except instead of adding raw chicken in Step 2, you can stir in your cooked, pulled chicken in Step 5. Obviously, skip all of Step 3.
• EXTRA VEGGIES – Feel free to add carrots (in Step 1) and/or spinach (stir in right before serving) to this lemon rice soup recipe for extra nutrition.
• ORZO – This soup is delicious with orzo in place of rice. Cooking times may vary a bit; taste and cook soup until orzo is tender. Add extra broth or water if necessary as orzo cooks.

What to Serve with Avgolemono Soup

Lemon chicken soup goes well with a variety of pairings and side dishes, including:

• Our yeast rolls recipe with our homemade butter recipe, or homemade pita bread.
• A few slices of gyro pizza.
• A fresh green salad with feta dressing.
• Honey roasted carrots or asparagus roasted.

How to Store Greek Lemon Soup

To store leftovers, transfer the soup to a storage container and place it in the fridge with the lid off. Once the soup is completely chilled to fridge temperature, then you can place the lid on and keep for up to 3 days.

Can you freeze avgolemono soup?

Yes, you can freeze chicken lemon rice soup for up to 3 months. Chill the soup in the fridge as directed above, but after you place the lid on, transfer to the freezer.

To serve, thaw the soup in the refrigerator overnight before reheating it on the stove over low heat until warmed through. You will likely need to add extra chicken broth or water as it heats.

Lemon Chicken Rice Soup FAQs