Avgolemono Soup
Jan 18, 2026 12:35 PM
This avgolemono soup uses a classic egg-and-lemon tempering method to thicken chicken broth into a silky, comforting soup with chunks of chicken and orzo pasta.
Avgolemono soup is a traditional Greek soup made by thickening hot broth with a mixture of eggs and lemon juice (avgó = egg, lemóni = lemon). The result is a silky, creamy texture without any dairy, balanced by bright lemon flavor. It’s most often finished with rice or orzo and tender chicken, both of which I added to my delicious version.
Chicken broth thickened with eggs and flavored with lemon is a Mediterranean idea so good that just about everyone claimed it in one form or another. You’ll find versions of avgolemono soup in Greece, Turkey, and Italy, as well as throughout Arabic and Jewish cuisines. The texture and flavor of the soup are remarkable ~ silky and lightly creamy (with no dairy whatsoever), balanced by a bright, pronounced lemon tang.
My lemon soup recipe is cobbled together from a handful of sources. I take what I love from each one until I get it just right for me ~ not too many eggs, extra lemon, no celery, and orzo instead of rice. Traditionally, this soup starts with a whole chicken simmered into broth, but I use a good rotisserie chicken and quality store-bought broth without sacrificing the character or flavor of this wonderful soup.
Ingredients:
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 4 large eggs, well beaten
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, strain pips and
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- 2 cups cooked chicken, cut in chunks
- 2 cups cooked orzo or rice
- snipped chives or dill
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
5 minutes
Total Time:
20 minutes
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