Greek Chicken Soup with Lemon & Orzo (Avgolemono)

A Greek classic made with tender shredded chicken and orzo in a light, lemony broth, finished with a silky egg and lemon sauce that gives the soup its distinctive richness.

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Servings 8

Prep Time 20

Total Time 1 15

Ingredients

60 ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil divided
4 chicken legs or 2 leg quarters
2 medium carrots finely diced
2 ribs celery finely diced
1 yellow onion finely diced
10 g (1 ½ tsp) salt divided (see note 1)
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tsp fresh oregano or ¼ tsp dried oregano
1 l (4 cups) chicken stock (see note 2)
2 bay leaves
120 g (¾ cup) orzo
3 eggs
80 ml (⅓ cup) fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Add half of the olive oil to a large saucepan or stock pot and set over medium heat. Pat the chicken legs dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chicken and sear on one side until golden and the chicken releases easily, about 3-5 minutes. Flip and brown on the other side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Add the remaining olive oil along with the carrots, celery and onion, ½ tsp of salt and a generous grind of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to take on colour, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, lemon zest and oregano and stir until fragrant, 30 more seconds.
Return the chicken legs and any accumulated juices to the pot. Increase the heat to high. Pour over the chicken stock along with 1 litre (4 cups) of water. Stir in the remaining 1 tsp salt, add the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Stir in the orzo and simmer for 8 minutes, until tender but still toothsome. Turn off the heat.
While the orzo is cooking, add the eggs and lemon juice to a medium bowl. Whisk until combined. Ladle 250ml (1 cup) of the hot broth from the soup into a measuring jug. Whisking constantly, carefully stream the hot broth into the egg mixture.
Remove the chicken legs from the pot and allow to sit until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones and shred it into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken back into the soup along with the egg mixture. Taste to adjust for seasoning, adding salt and pepper where needed. Serve.

Notes

For best results, measure salt by weight, as different salts vary in crystal size and density.
For best results, use unsalted stock so you can control the seasoning of the final dish.

Freezing & Reheating

This soup freezes well for up to 3 months. Allow to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.

Do not allow the soup to boil during reheating as this can cause the egg mixture to curdle.

Nutrition

Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

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