This quick and comforting Greek avgolemono soup is rich, lemony, and ready in about 30 minutes โ no whole chicken required.
For more Mediterranean chicken recipes, check out our Chicken Tagine, Chicken Shawarma, Honey Harissa chicken, and Chicken Cacciatore.
A Quick, Comforting Take on a Greek Classic
I first tried avgolemono soup on an interrail trip through Greece with my uni friend Alex. Weโd landed in Nafplio after a long day of train and bus-hopping and sat down at a small taverna near the port.
I ordered what I thought was just a basic chicken soup โ but it turned out to be tangy, rich, and creamy without a drop of cream. Just eggs, lemon, and chicken. Iโve been hooked ever since.
If youโve made our Greek lemon chicken, tirokafteri, or gyros, you already know weโre big fans of bold, simple Greek flavors. This soup fits right in โ pure comfort food with a citrusy kick.
Itโs traditionally made with a whole chicken that simmers for over an hour to build flavor, but with our recipe you can make it in about 30 minutes. We use good-quality chicken broth and pre-cut chicken pieces to cut the time way down without sacrificing the character of the dish. And if you have leftover rotisserie chicken that works wonderfully too!
Ingredients
For quantities, see recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Chicken pieces โ thighs or breast, boneless and skinless
- Chicken broth โ use store-bought or homemade
- Orzo pasta โ or rice (Carolina, Arborio, or even leftover cooked rice)
- Carrots โ peeled and chopped
- Celery โ or substitute with leek or a bit of fennel
- Onion โ or shallot for a milder flavor
- Potato (optional) โ for extra creamy
- Eggs โ whole eggs, no need to separate
- Lemons โ fresh lemon juice is key
- Olive oil โ for sautรฉing
- Salt & pepper โ to season
- Cornstarch (optional) โ helps stabilize the avgolemono for reheating
- Fresh herbs (optional) โ parsley, celery leaves, or dill for garnish
How to make easy Avgolemono Soup
Step 1: Sautรฉ Chicken and Aromatics
In a large pot, heat a bit of olive oil and sautรฉ the chicken pieces with a pinch of salt and black pepper for about 3 minutes per side, just until lightly browned.
Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, and potato, and continue to sautรฉ for 2 more minutes, stirring to coat the vegetables evenly.
Step 2: Add the Broth and Simmer
Pour in the chicken broth and bring everything to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked (avoid overcooking). Transfer the chicken to a plate and turn off the heat. Shred the meat with a fork, discarding any bones.
Using a hand blender, purรฉe the vegetables directly in the pot until smooth. Add the orzo (or rice) along with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Simmer until the pasta is cooked, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: Make the Avgolemono (Egg-Lemon Sauce)
While the orzo is cooking, whisk together the lemon juice and cornstarch.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until light and frothy, then slowly add the lemon mixture while continuing to whisk.
Take a ladle of hot broth from the soup and gradually whisk it into the egg mixture to temper it.
Once the orzo is ready, turn off the heat. Slowly pour the avgolemono into the soup, stirring gently to combine. Add the shredded chicken back into the pot, then turn the heat to low for just a minute, until the soup starts to gently bubble.
Step 4: Serve
Spoon the shredded chicken into bowls, ladle the hot soup over it, and finish with cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of fresh herbs like dill or celery leaves, if you like.
Tips
1. Use high-quality broth: If youโre not making your own broth, go for the best chicken broth you can find โ rich, golden, and full of flavor. A good broth is the backbone of avgolemono.
2. Temper the eggs slowly: This is key. Always whisk in hot broth gradually to the egg-lemon mixture to avoid scrambling. Take your time with this step โ itโs the difference between a silky soup and a curdled mess.
3. Donโt boil after adding the avgolemono: Once the egg-lemon mixture is in, keep the heat low or off. A gentle stir and a brief reheat is all you need. Boiling will cause the eggs to separate.
4. Orzo holds up better than rice: Rice gets soft and mushy the longer it sits. Orzo stays pleasantly chewy even in leftovers โ great if youโre making a batch ahead.
5. Purรฉe the vegetables (optional, but amazing): Blending the carrots, onion, celery, and potato into the broth gives you a naturally creamy texture without any cream โ it's a trick we now always use.
6. A touch of cornstarch = reheatable leftovers: Adding a little cornstarch to the egg-lemon mixture makes the soup more stable, so it wonโt separate when reheated the next day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually because the eggs were added too fast or the soup boiled after the avgolemono was added. Always temper the eggs slowly and keep the heat low.
You can use rice, broken pasta, Small pasta shapes, couscous, Trahanas (traditional fermented grain pasta), or even cooked quinoa โ just adjust cooking times accordingly.
Yes. In this case we strongly recommend using the cornstarch as we instruct to help it reheat without separating.
Itโs not ideal โ the eggs can separate when thawed. If you want to freeze it, do so before adding the avgolemono (egg-lemon sauce).
Avgolemono is Greek for egg (avgo) and lemon (lemono). It refers to a silky, tangy sauce made by mixing eggs and lemon juice, then slowly tempering it with hot broth until creamy. Avgolemono is used in Greek cuisine to add creaminess and freshness to soups, broths, and other recipes โ without using cream.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
- Italian sausage pasta
- Chicken saltimbocca
- Chicken Marsala
- Rasta pasta with chicken
- Italian meatballs
- Tuna steak
- Garlic parmesan chicken pasta
- Chicken shawarma
If you tried this Avgolemono Soup recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a ๐ star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments.
We love hearing from you!
Recipe
Avgolemono Soup (Greek Chicken and Lemon Soup)
Video
Ingredients
- 1ยฝ pounds chicken pieces bone-in โ thighs, drumsticks, etc.
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 stalk celery diced + leaves for garnish
- 1 onion diced
- 1 potatoes diced
- ยฝ cup orzo (risoni pasta)
- ยฝ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- โ teaspoon black pepper
Avgolemono Sauce
- 2 eggs
- โ cup lemon juice from about 2 lemons
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Sautรฉ โ In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoon olive oil and sautรฉ 1ยฝ pounds chicken pieces with a pinch of salt and pepper until lightly browned (about 3 minutes per side).
- Simmer โ Add 2 carrots, 1 stalk celery, 1 onion, and 1 potatoes (all chopped), stir on high heat for a minute, then add 6 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer until chicken is cooked through (12โ15 minutes).Remove chicken, turn off heat, and blend veggies until smooth. Add ยฝ cup orzo (or rice), season, and simmer until tender. Shred chicken and keep warm.
- Make Avgolemono โ Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch and โ cup lemon juice. In a separate bowl, whisk 2 eggs until frothy, then add lemon mix. Slowly whisk in 1 cup hot broth to temper. When orzo is done, stir in avgolemono. Add the shredded chicken back into the pot, then turn the heat to low for just a minute, until the soup starts to gently bubble
- Serve โ Serve in bowls with cracked pepper and chopped celery leaves or dill.
Notes
- Chicken pieces โ thighs or breast, boneless and skinless. Substitute rotisserie chicken, in this case non need to sautรฉ it
- Chicken brothย โ use store-bought or homemade
- Orzo pastaย โ or rice (Carolina, Arborio, or even leftover cooked rice)
- Celeryย โ or substitute with leek or a bit of fennel
- Onionย โ or shallot for a milder flavor
- Potatoย (optional) โ for extra creamy
- Cornstarchย (optional) โ helps stabilize the avgolemono for reheating
- Fresh herbsย (optional) โ parsley, celery leaves, or dill for garnish
- Use good broth โ A rich, flavorful broth makes all the difference.
- Temper eggs slowly โ Whisk in hot broth gradually to avoid scrambling.
- Donโt boil after avgolemono โ Keep heat low so the eggs donโt curdle.
- Orzo > rice โ Orzo holds its texture better, even the next day.
- Purรฉe the veggies โ Blended veggies = creamy texture, no cream needed.
- Add cornstarch for reheating โ It keeps the soup silky even when warmed up.
Linda says
Just made this tonight and it was absolutely amazing! Iโve had avgolemono in restaurants before but never thought I could pull it off at home. And this recipe made it so easy. The lemon flavor was perfect, and the texture was so creamy without any cream. Even my picky husband went back for seconds! Definitely adding this to our regular dinner rotation. Thank you!
Nico Pallotta says
Thank you so much, Linda! Iโm so happy you gave it a try โ especially hearing that even your picky husband loved it! ๐ Itโs one of our go-to comfort meals, and I love that itโs now part of your dinner rotation too. Sending a big virtual hug from our kitchen in Todi! ๐๐ฒ