Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chicken & Rice Soup)

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If you love a good chicken and rice combo, this Greek Avgolemono soup is always a winner. Shredded chicken, rice, and a few simple vegetables are stirred into a silky smooth lemon-and-egg broth for a cozy balanced meal.

Avgolemono soup in a white bowl with a spoon

So, What’s Avgolemono Anyways?

If you’ve never had Avgolemono before, it’s a smooth Greek sauce made from an egg, lemon, and broth mixture. It’s often spooned on a variety of cooked vegetables and meats, but the taste of it in soup form really hits the spot for Grecian-style comfort food.

Now, I’m fully aware that I may be biased towards this recipe, given how much I love dishes with a Mediterranean flair (hence my one pan chicken and rice, Greek sheet pan chicken, or Greek chicken kabobs)… but I’m confident you’re going to love it too. And make it repeatedly during soup season. Because what’s a better feeling than cozying up with a big, hearty bowl of chicken soup?

Ingredients for Avgolemono soup on a table

Here’s the Ingredients You’ll Need

The ingredients are fairly simple, although, I will say I created a small shortcut. Instead of cooking a whole chicken from scratch to create the shredded chicken and broth, I’m using a rotisserie chicken and boxed chicken broth. I’m also using pre-cooked white rice.

Is this an authentic avgolemono soup? Technically, no, but it follows the same concept, with very similar results and flavor. You know me – I’m all for simplifying things as much as I can for a seamless (and easy!) cooking experience. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Vegetables: All you need are onions and celery to accompany the chicken in this soup. But for more ideas on other veggies to add, I’ve got some recommendations below.
  • Chicken: There’s a few ways to go about this – you can make my shredded chicken recipe with chicken breasts, you can make my slow cooker whole chicken, or you can shred a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the market (which is how I’m doing it today).
  • Chicken Broth: If you cooked a whole chicken, you’ll use the same broth. But if you’re making it with a store-bought bird, grab your favorite low-sodium chicken broth.
  • Eggs: Only two large eggs are needed to balance out the lemon ratio.
  • Lemons: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is needed here – no bottled versions!
  • Rice: Stick to short grain white rice such as arborio for a fluffier consistency that aligns with the soup’s creamy texture. And if you don’t have a rice cooker, I’ve got a full video on how to cook rice in a pot. I recommend making the rice a day or two before (meal prep it!) so you can whip up this recipe super fast during the week.
  • Herbs: All you need is fresh dill or parsley to sprinkle on top, or stirred into the soup!

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Two bowls of Avgolemono Soup

How to Make Avgolemono Soup (the Easy Way)

While there’s many variations on the classic Avgolemono soup, I’m going to show you a quick and easy version, that leverages a little meal prep, so that you can get this nourishing and hearty soup on the table fast. Aka – it’s an easy weeknight meal!

Cooking vegetables in a pot for Avgolemono soup

Cook the vegetables. Saute the onion and celery in a large pan with oil for 3 to 4 minutes, until they’re slightly softened.

Pouring broth into a pot for Avgolemono soup

Add the broth. Then season with salt and pepper, and bring it to a simmer.

Blending the eggs and lemon juice together

Make the Avgolemono sauce. Traditionally, you’d whisk the eggs and lemon juice separately by hand, then temper the eggs with ladles full of simmering broth, while continuously whisking.

But if you’ve got a high powered blender, I’ll show you how to get the same creamy consistency – fast! Just blend the eggs, lemon juice, and ¼ cup of the rice for about 20 seconds. Then while blending, slowly stream 2 ladles full of hot broth from the saucepan to temper the eggs. This method is foolproof and it won’t curdle when you add it back to the pot! You can see how I do it on the video below.

Avgolemono soup in a big white pot with a ladle

Combine everything together. Stir the lemon-egg mixture into the lightly simmering stock, along with the rice and chicken. Let it keep cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the chicken and rice is warmed through. Once that’s done, garnish with freshly chopped dill and you’re ready to serve!

Pro tip: A classic Avgolemono soup is quite full-bodied! If you’d like a thinner, more brothy soup, just add another cup or two of chicken broth. You’ll also get an extra serving that way!

Bowls and a pot of Avgolemono soup

A Few Tips to Tweak This Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup

  • Add more vegetables: You can stir in some baby spinach or arugula at the very end for a greens-boost!
  • Add more herbs: In this recipe, I only sprinkle the chopped dill on top for garnish. But you can also chop up some more herbs to stir into the soup.

Storage Options

  • To store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
  • To freeze: Pour the soup into a freezer-safe container or silicone soup tray (like my favorite Souper Cubes). It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
  • For reheating: Whether you’re reheating from the fridge or freezer, make sure to do it on medium-low heat. You can reheat in the microwave (for a single serving), or a bigger quantity in a pot on the stovetop. You may need to add more broth or water to thin it down when reheating.

Avgolemono Soup Recipe Video

Before you dive into tempering the eggs, give the below video a watch to make sure you don’t run into any complications!

More Easy, Comforting Soup Recipes

Although this Avgolemono soup will become a weeknight staple, I’ve got a few more soup recipes that are surely runner ups. Here’s a glimpse of some favorites below!

If you love to weave Mediterranean recipes into your routine, make sure to keep this Avgolemono soup in mind come fall and winter! And once you make it, let me know how you liked it in a comment below.

A bowl of Avgolemono soup next to dill

Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chicken & Rice Soup)

4.96 from 69 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

If you love a good chicken and rice combo, this Greek Avgolemono soup is comforting and delicious with a bright, lemony flavor. And my version is super easy to make – just watch the video above!

Video

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 celery rib, chopped
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1 to 2 lemons)
  • 1 ½ cup cooked white rice
  • 2 cups shredded chicken
  • chopped fresh dill for garnish

Instructions 

  • Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened.
    A pot of cooked vegetables for Avgolemono soup
  • Add the broth, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer.
    A big pot of broth for Avgolemono soup
  • In a blender, add the eggs, lemon juice, and ¼ cup of the rice. Blend until smooth, about 20 seconds. Then while blending, slowly stream 2 ladles full of hot broth from the saucepan to temper the eggs.
    Blending the eggs and lemon juice together
  • Stir the lemon egg puree into the lightly simmering stock along with the rice and chicken, until slightly thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Do not boil the soup as it can cause the egg mixture to curdle.
    Cooking Avgolemono soup in a big white pot
  • Garnish with dill before serving.
    Bowls of Avgolemono soup with a spoon

Nutrition

Calories: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 158mg | Potassium: 475mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 158IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Dinner, Soup
Cuisine: Greek
Keyword: Avgolemono, Avgolemono Soup, Chicken and Rice Soup, Greek Soup
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

4.96 from 69 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




153 Comments

  1. This is a quick receipe to do and so tasty! Love it for lunch or for someone to discover! Enjoy.5 stars

  2. Hi Lisa
    This soup sounds delicious, but my family only eat soup which is smooth, so I blend all the “lumps” in. Can I do the same to this soup without it spoiling or will it just go more creamy?

    Regards Lisa-sondra

    1. If you blend the entire soup up, it will definitely be creamier and thicker, so you may need to add more liquid. :)

  3. My childhood best friend was Greek and her father owned a Greek restaurant. His avogolemono was my favorite thing. So much so that Ive never ordered it from other Greek restaurants because I did not want to be disappointed. But this looked so good, and seemed like something I could make, so I tried it. And it was freaking DELICIOUS!! They way you broke down how to make it with ease and how to not mess it up, helped so much. Was absolutely delicious. Thanks!

  4. Definitely a “make again”! I used your stovetop method for the shredded chicken while the arboria rice cooked in an instant pot. The soup came together in minutes once these were cooked! Thankful for making a bigger batch of both bc I have a feeling this soup will be on repeat! Even the hubby who is part Greek approved!5 stars

  5. This was easy to make and delicious! It tasted very similar to my mom’s chicken and dumplings, without the dumpling. Perfect for when I want the comfort of chicken and dumplings but am too lazy to roll out the dumplings. :) (Also, probably much healthier.)5 stars

  6. The most delicious and easy Avgolemono soup recipe I’ve tried! Perfectly seasoned and so comforting! Hubby and kids all agree!5 stars

  7. This is THE best chicken soup recipe I’ve found in a long time!! I make batches of it and my daughter comes home from work for lunch and warms it up. It comes together quickly and has so much flavor! The fresh dill adds flavor, so don’t skip over it. This was also a great comfort soup when my son and his girlfriend recently had COVID. I was in a hurry and used pre-cooked rice and it still worked out wonderfully. Thank you Lisa!!

  8. My husband and I LOVED this recipe! It was so hearty and delicious. The lemon is such a nice touch as it really brightens up the soup. I can’t wait to make this again :)5 stars

  9. I was a little hesitant to try this, but Lisa made it look so easy and it turned out perfect! I added a little more broth since we enjoy a thinner consistency because today the weather is extra cold. The dill garnish was so good,  it’s a must!5 stars

  10. I made this soup tonight and it was fantastic! Using my Vitamix to emulsify the egg, lemon juice, broth and rice was the best tip. It was super easy and made the soup silky smooth. In addition to the onion and celery, I used some fennel. I also mixed some fennel fronds with the dill to top everything off. Thanks for all your inspiration.5 stars

  11. Such a lovely comforting soup. It was absolutely delicious. I added some fresh spinach because I had quite a lot in the refrigerator. This soup will meet your highest expectations. And it’s simple to create as are almost all of Lisa’s recipes.5 stars

  12. Wonderful (and easy!) recipe. We love lemon, so I did add the zest of one lemon as well. Will for sure be making this again soon!5 stars

  13. I’ve never had this soup before, but I had some leftover cooked chicken thighs and cold jasmine rice to use up. I have all the love for lemon and chicken, so I gave it a whirl. What a unique and delicious soup! The creaminess of the broth from the eggs make it very hearty and rich, but the lemon flavor is so light. I made it according to the recipe since I’d never tried it before, but ended up adding fresh minced garlic that I infused in some olive oil and butter along with some crushed red pepper. I also threw in a bay leaf, some thyme and oregano. Lovely. 

  14. Delicious!
    My variations were I made chicken bone broth from an organic chicken after roasting the chicken. I used basil instead of dill. Great recipe Lisa. Thank you.5 stars

  15. I had grabbed some fennel to make the fennel pork meatball recipe, so I used that instead of dill for this and it was amazing! Even my young kids like it, so this will definitely be something I make again.5 stars

  16. This was so ridiculously easy and delicious! Growing up Greek, my dad used to make it the more labor intensive way. I actually thought this tasted better than I remember. I prepped the chicken (baked a pack of chicken thighs) and made the rice the night before as suggested. Didn’t change anything in the recipe. Took about 15 to assemble the next day for lunch with friends. Everyone had seconds. Will be a staple in my house this winter. 5 stars

  17. I will be making this for approx. 25 people. Any other suggestions in this case. I know I have to quadruple the recipe. Can I use an emulsifier or hand held blender? Thanks so much. Can’t wait to try this.

  18. Loved this recipe! Was great for a quick different lunch when I had some extra chicken and rice that would have been so boring on their own.5 stars

  19. I made this today, mostly as written — only change was I added a handful of frozen peas at the end. What a cozy, delicious and easy soup to make. I was curious about the lemon in the soup as I couldn’t quite picture in my mind a lemon-y tasting broth. But there was just enough lemon to make it bright, and it thankfully didn’t feel like I was eating hot creamy lemonade haha. Will definitely be in the winter meal rotation for sure.5 stars

  20. Planning on making this this weekend! What if I don’t have a high powered blender? Will a food processor work?

  21. I miss chicken and rice casseroles I had as a kid but have a hard time justifying some of the unhealthier ingredients in them… this was perfect. Same comforting flavor but way lighter and healthier.

    Thanks, Lisa! 5 stars

  22. Made this tonight. So delicious.  I added 2 chicken breasts to the hot broth for 15 min and then shredded. (Similar to your winter vegetable and chicken soup). Saved me time as I didn’t meal prep.  See how much I’m learning from you :-).  Thx again 5 stars

  23. Cant wait to try this! I am Greek and grew up eating avgolemono. Some of the differences that I grew up with are – no dill, onion or celery, but carrots with rice OR orzo, and separating the whites and the yolks. I guess I should specify that I only used celery and onions when making my own brother. Cant wait to give this a go!5 stars

  24. My family and I loved this!
    I just wanted to thank you for providing a lot of GF, DF recipes here!
    Thank you so much for all you do!5 stars

  25. Delicious!!!! Such a simple delicious meal!
    Thank you for all that you create. Your recipes are a staple in my kitchen!5 stars

  26. I’ve been craving this soup that was the diner staple of my childhood! I was super nervous when I poured in the egg mixture to the soup because it was foamy on top but gentle simmering and stirring for 10 min perfected the texture, as stated in the recipe :) delicious and loved every bite!5 stars

  27. I’m obsessed!! I’ve made It twice and it’s been soooo comforting and cozy to eat!!! Thank you so much!! 

    Just wondering how this would freeze? I made so much but I don’t want It to go bad. 5 stars

  28. Tried this for dinner tonight and it was a great success! Very light, silky, delicate in flavor but also very filling. I had chicken bone broth and rotisserie chicken on hand so that’s what I used. 27g protein, 24g carbs, 7g fat per 350g serving – great macros!5 stars

  29. I do not see instructions on making the arborio rice. The link to the rice video give instructions on how to cook long grain rice. Can you cook arborio in a rice cooker?

  30. Lisa,

    This soup is delicious! I made it as per recipe except for three little changes. I didn’t have celery, but I had some fresh radishes to use instead. In addition, I had some fresh button mushrooms, so I chopped some of those and threw them in and I also did not have short grain rice so I just used what I had which was basmati. I suppose it might have possibly been a bit thicker with the long grain rice, but I’m not sure I would have noticed. It turned out great and tasted fantastic. The creamy lemony flavor is so good and it’s hard to believe there is no dairy in it. Will definitely be making this again! Great recipe!5 stars

  31. I made this for dinner today and I am so glad I did. Today was the first day of temps not getting above 67 degrees. This soup is perfect for the chillier weather while also holding on to the end of summer (hello, lemon goodness). This came together so quickly, especially since I had shredded chicken, cleaned veggies, and cooked rice on hand from meal prepping the Downshiftology way. I really do recommend and can see myself making this again and again. 5 stars

    1. This truly will be on repeat during the colder months ahead! Happy to hear you thoroughly enjoyed this recipe Kyle :)

  32. I can’t wait to try this.  I’m wondering, do you think I could use quinoa instead of rice?  If so, would you recommend doing so in the same way?
    Thank you so much!

  33. Hi Lisa,

    It was really wonderful! I added some fresh spinach, shitake mushrooms and extra celery. Best Avgolemono soup I’ve had. Thanks for sharing a delicious recipe!

    Lisa E.5 stars

      1. You can always find how many servings this recipe makes under the total cook time :) This recipe makes 4 servings!

  34. Just made this tonight, I conveniently had leftover chicken and rice when I saw this recipe posted! Probably would have sautéed the vegetables for longer because my celery was still a bit crunchy but I like the creaminess of the soup, never heard of blending rice before! This was super cozy for a cold day.4 stars

  35. Just made this!  I used vegetable broth since that is what I had on hand.  It was awesome!  Nice and creamy with out any dairy!  Thanks!5 stars

  36. Hi Lisa!

    I can’t wait to try this shredded chicken soup recipe!
    I love your recipes!   
    Can brown rice be substituted for white rice in your recipe?   Will it be starchy enough?
    Thanks very much!