Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono)

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and sauté for 5–6 minutes until softened.
2. Add the chicken broth, chicken breast, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15–18 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F internally.
3. Remove the chicken, shred it with two forks, and set aside.
4. Add the rice to the simmering broth and cook for 15–18 minutes, until tender.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Slowly whisk in the lemon juice.
6. Ladle about 2 cups of the hot broth into the egg-lemon mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
7. Remove the pot from heat and slowly stir the tempered egg-lemon mixture back into the soup, stirring constantly to prevent curdling.
8. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir to combine. Let sit for 2–3 minutes to thicken slightly; do not boil.
9. Stir in the fresh dill and serve warm.

Adaptations

• Swap white rice for orzo pasta (cook separately and add at the end to avoid excess starch).
• Use boneless chicken thighs instead of breast for a richer flavor.
• For a dairy-free creamier texture, skip the egg tempering step and finish with extra lemon juice only (note: this changes the dish from a true avgolemono).

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Swaps

• 2 medium carrots, diced → 1 cup diced carrots (unsupported_catalog/unsupported_measure: replaced vague count-based measure with a standard cup measurement for diced carrots.)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano → 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves (ambiguous_catalog/ambiguous_ingredient: specified the leaf form of dried oregano to match a single catalog entry.)