Avgolemono Soup

Avgolemono Soup

This is a big recipe, so if you want to feed just a few people you'll have to experiment and shrink it down.


Chicken Stock (You can buy it canned, if you want the easy route)

3 lb organic chicken (better flavor)
2 - 2 1/2 qt water
one medium celery stalk
one small carrot
3-4 peppercorns
1 medium onion (quartered)
Salt to taste (add about an hour to an hour and a half in)

Throw everything together into the pot.
Cover and cook for 2 hours or until the chicken is tender.

Remove the chicken and place somewhere to keep warm.
Filter the broth to remove the fat, vegetables, and other particles. (I use cheesecloth and a good size bowl)
The chicken can be kept for other dishes, however, I use it for the soup.

Everything else

1 cup orzo or long grain rice
3 medium eggs
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Turn down the heat to medium.
Add 1 cup orzo (or rice) to the broth and let cook until tender.

When the orzo or rice is tender, beat the three eggs and the three tablespoons of lemon juice together in a small bowl.

Ladle some of the broth into the bowl (enough to warm the temperature up to the same as the broth in the pot) and continue beating until mixed well.

Once mixed, pour the mixture into the pot and stir until mixed well.

Add the chicken (optional).

Let the soup heat through and then let stand fifteen minutes before serving, if it starts to separate keep stirring.

Serve and enjoy.
Add more lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
This can be kept for a few extra days as well, so, if you're into leftovers, just reheat what you have left.


This is from memory, so, if it isn't exactly right, I apologize but I can't place anything I missed.
Oh, and this may be an acquired taste being heavily based on lemon, our family uses a lot of lemon to flavor up the dish once it is in our bowls.