Avgolemono (Greek Lemon Chicken Soup)

Almost every culture has a homey version of chicken soup to comfort the sick or the soul weary, or to stave off the chill of cold weather, but the Greeks might just have one of the best: the egg and lemon soup known as avgolemono. Here’s how to make this classic comforting soup at home.

• First of all, it’s gorgeous. The broth is vibrant yellow from the eggs and heavily scented with lemon fragrance.
• The broth is rich, but not heavy. When you dig in for a spoonful, the broth is not only stunning, but it’s also silky and rich without a drop of cream in sight.
• It’s easy to make. Making avgolemono isn’t an all-day affair (and if you want to make the stock ahead, we have make-ahead tips below).

Avgolemono actually refers to a Greek sauce made from eggs, lemon, and warm broth. Commonly added to soups for thickening, the sauce is used to dress up everything from roasted vegetables to fish dishes.

Here, avgolemono thickens what would otherwise be a pretty standard orzo chicken soup, making it a welcoming weeknight dinner or an impressive dinner party dish. This vibrant lemon and egg soup may cause you to weep with joy upon mastery. The subtle flavor of this soup (lemon, chicken, eggs) is made that much tastier by the velvety texture of the finished soup.

When I set out to master avgolemono, I was astounded but not surprised by the variations. I wanted an easier version to cut down on the cook time. Here are the key ingredients for it:

• Chicken thighs: Some recipes called for making broth from a whole chicken, slow simmering for hours, while others called for a box of broth, a few eggs, and lemons. This recipe is the best of both worlds. You get delicious homemade broth and meat from simmered bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs — no whole chicken required.
• Orzo: Orzo is a type of pasta that’s shaped like a large grain of rice. To make this soup gluten-free, you can use white rice instead of the orzo.
• Eggs: The eggs are whisked with lemon juice and then tempered with hot broth, which gives the soup a rich and silky texture.
• Lemon: Fresh lemon juice gives the soup its signature flavor. Serve with lemon slices for a touch of brightness.

So, you’ve simmered and shredded the chicken thighs. You’ve got the broth from making the chicken, and cooked the orzo in its wake. Now you’ve come to the only challenging part of making Greek lemon and egg soup: adding raw eggs to hot broth without scrambling the eggs. No, no, don’t worry — tempering to the rescue!

Tempering is the process of adding a small amount of the hot broth to the eggs while whisking vigorously. You’ll slowly raise the temperature of the eggs enough to add them to the soup without the eggs curdling. Remove the soup from the heat before you being tempering and never bring the soup back to a boil once the eggs have been added.

1. Cook chicken and make stock. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Strain the broth. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large heatproof bowl and discard the solids.
3. Shred the chicken. Shred into bite-sized pieces.
4. Cook the orzo in the broth. Add the orzo and cook until al dente.
5. Make the avgolemono. Temper in the eggs by slowly drizzling the reserved 2 cups of warm stock into the egg-lemon mixture. Pro tip: Set the bowl of egg lemon mixture on a damp towel (or paper towels) to hold the bowl steady while you whisk with one hand and pour with the other.
6. Thicken the soup. Add the avgolemono back into the pot with the chicken and orzo and cook until the soup thickens slightly.
7. Serve the soup. Serve with lemon slices, fresh chopped dill or oregano, and freshly ground black pepper.

• Rotisserie chicken: Buy your favorite carton of chicken broth and reduce it by half. This will take about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the meat from a rotisserie chicken and then start this recipe from Step 4. It will still be really, really satisfying in about half the time.
• Gluten-free version: Make this dish gluten-free by choosing rice instead of the orzo.

• Make ahead: The chicken and stock can be prepared 2 days in advance. Shred the chicken and refrigerate separately. Strain the stock and refrigerate. The lemon can be juiced ahead of time as well.
• Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If you expect that you’ll have an excessive amount left over, simply halve the recipe.
• Reheat: Reheat on the stove over low heat, making sure not to boil the soup.

Around the World in 30 Soups: We collaborated with chefs, cookbook authors, and our own Kitchn crew to share a globetrotting adventure in soups from countries and cuisines around the world. Today’s stop: Greece.

When we mention Greek egg and lemon soup, it turns heads. We have met so many cooks who long to make this luxurious soup (often found in Greek restaurants) at home. So we turned to Greek cookbook author Aglaia Kremezi to help us really understand and master this delicious essential.