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Traditional Greek Avgolemono Soup

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Brr!! There’s a chill in the air, and nothing is more comforting than a bowl of soup when it’s cold out there. Traditional Greek avgolemono soup is comfort food at its best. It’s rich, creamy, and non-dairy.

a dutch oven filled with chicken soup and sliced bread and two spoons in bowls on the right

This mouthwatering recipe comes from a family of egg and lemon sauces that are popular in many Greek dishes. The sauce can be used for dolmas, and can also be drizzled on artichokes. In Middle Eastern cuisine this egg and lemon sauce can be used on chicken, or fish.

a ladle filled with chicken soup with bowls and spoons on the right and bread in the background

As far as its origin are concerned, some food historian believe that avgolemono is closely tied to the cuisine of the Sephardic Jews of Spain. They called their sauce Agristada. The use of eggs as a thickener was necessary in order to abide by Kosher laws which forbade the use of milk with anything that accompanied meat products.

a dutch oven filled with chicken soup and a ladle on the left

This traditional Greek avgolemono soup has a heavenly creamy texture, and it’s non-dairy.  Its fabulous tangy flavor will wrap you up in comfort on chili days. If you eat it at night, you will sleep like a baby. Having said this, you might not want to pack it in your lunch or your boss might find you napping peacefully under your desk.

two white bowls of chicken soup and a red dutch oven in the back

Traditional Greek avgolemono soup is easy to make. Here’s a useful tip: When you temper the egg/lemon mixture with the warm broth, do it slowly to prevent the eggs from curdling.

Serve this simple dish with a nice piece of crusty bread.

If you want to try some other simple, ethnic homemade soups here are some you can bookmark for later or pin on Pinterest.   Middle Eastern lentil soup is a vegetarian soup with bold exotic flavors.  If you like Mexican flavors and a spicy soup try this chicken tortilla soup with a creamy and cheesy broth that is great for dipping tortilla chips into.  If you like a sweeter soup then Thai coconut chicken soup brings a nice balance of sweet and savory.  Your soup journey would not be complete without trying French onion soup and reading about the history of this dish that dates back to the Roman empire. Enjoy!

This is a very simple soup to try this winter. Traditional Greek avgolemono soup is a bowl of comfort food with a rich creamy broth and tender chunks of chicken. This soup contains no cream but has a creamy texture with the combination of eggs and lemon. You will love the tangy lemon flavor in this soup. | ethnicspoon.com
5 from 8 votes
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Traditional Greek Avgolemono Soup

A creamy, tangy and delicious recipe. Traditional Greek avgolemono soup is perfect on a cold day/night. Serve with crusty bread.

Course Main dish
Cuisine Greek
Keyword authentic, egg, homemade, lemon, noodles, pasta, soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: Change to adjust-> 6
Calories 186 kcal

Ingredients

  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup orzo
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 2 lemons juiced
  • 2 Tbsp parsley chopped
  • 6 oz chicken breast shredded
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 carrot chopped
  • 1 onion sliced
  • 5 peppercorns
  • 1 dash nutmeg

Instructions

To prepare chicken

  1. In a braising pan place chicken, bay leaf, carrot, onion, and peppercorns. Cover and cook on medium heat until done.

  2. Remove from pan, place on a cutting board, and allow it to cook slightly. Discard the solids. 

  3. Shred chicken into medium size pieces.

To prepare broth

  1. In a saucepan, bring chicken stock to a boil. Remove 1 cup before you add in the orzo. Add the orzo and cook for about 8 minutes, then turn off heat. 

  2. While the orzo is cooking beat eggs in a large bowl, and slowly add in the lemon juice. Continue beating until frothy.

  3. Slowly add the reserved cup of broth to the egg mixture while whisking. 

  4. Pour egg and broth mixture back into the broth that is in the pot slowly, whisking as you go along. Add in the nutmeg. When all the egg mixture has been added, toss in the shredded chicken. Sprinkle in the parsley and stir.

Nutrition Facts
Traditional Greek Avgolemono Soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 186 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 8%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 79mg 26%
Sodium 406mg 17%
Potassium 507mg 14%
Total Carbohydrates 19g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 6g
Protein 15g 30%
Vitamin A 37.9%
Vitamin C 28.5%
Calcium 3.4%
Iron 7.3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

This is a very simple soup to try this winter. Traditional Greek avgolemono soup is a bowl of comfort food with a rich creamy broth and tender chunks of chicken. This soup contains no cream but has a creamy texture with the combination of eggs and lemon. You will love the tangy lemon flavor in this soup. | ethnicspoon.com #greekchickensoup #greekfood #europeanfood

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Sarah, we have about the same amount of snow on the ground. I could have made this soup tonight, but I am exhausted. I asked my husband to take me out to dinner, LOL! Yes, avgolemono is so creamy without the cream, a huge plus! 🙂 A delivery service, now there’s an idea. 🙂

      Reply

  6. I’ve heard of this soup and have always wanted to make it because it sounds absolutely delicious! I’m a fan of anything with lemon, and it must add such a brightness to the dish. It looks so convenient to make, too!

    Reply

  11. This looks so yummy! I love greek food, but I’ve actually never had this. I’ll definitely have to save this recipe!

    Reply

  12. Self proclaimed soup lady right here! Can’t believe I’ve never had this before. It sounds so perfect for the chilly weather or if there’s a little cold going through the house. Will definitely have to put this on our next soup rotation.

    Reply

    • Lauren, you will love avgolemono. It is comfort food at its best. If there is a cold going through the house, then this soup is perfect. Let me know how you like it.

      Reply

  14. This looks great! I love avgolemono soup! Can I ask if you can cook this in an instant pot? If so, any ideas on how long to cook it for and what setting?

    Reply

  15. I’m using leftover Greek whole roasted chicken from last night.
    My question is are the veggies and bay leaf strained out before you put it all together ? I used all of those things in the stock I used to make last night’s dish. The nutmeg was not used last night so I will be grating this into the soup.
    My assumption, since I have never seen vegetables in this soup any where I’ve ever had it is, in fact removed from the broth But.. You know what they say about assuming! 😉😉

    Reply

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