Greek Lemon Chicken Rice Soup also known as Avgolemono is now one of my favorite easy soups to make! This is pure comfort food!
I know this yummy soup has been around for a very long time, but my first time trying this was a few years ago when I visited San Francisco. San Francisco is an amazing foodie city where you can find restaurants that serve food from all different parts of the world at any given time of the day.
We came across a lovely Greek restaurant in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood where I tried Avgolemono Soup.
My taste buds were bursting with every single bite. It was like the ultimate comfort food for me on a chilly San Francisco day after spending hours upon hours of walking the city.
When I got back from San Fran, I knew I had to try making this wonderful soup. After scouring the internet for recipes and finally tweaking this soup to my own liking, I was shocked by how easy this was to make!
What is Avgolemono?
Avgolemono is a Greek sauce made with egg yolk and lemon juice, then mixed with chicken broth until it’s heated through. That’s what thickens this chicken soup and gives it a nice aroma and flavor.
The addition of chicken, rice and dill makes this a totally satisfying soup!
Ingredients for Greek Lemon Chicken Rice Soup
- 2 Tbs EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
- 1 large Sweet Onion chopped
- 3 cloves minced Garlic
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 Bay Leaf
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 boneless skinless Chicken Breasts
- ½ cup Arborio Rice
- Juice from 1 Lemon
- 3 Eggs
- ¼ cup chopped fresh Dill Weed
I used a 6-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven to make this. It’s the perfect size and makes for easy cleanup because nothing gets stuck to the sides or bottom of this pot. I love it!
How to Make Greek Lemon Chicken Rice Soup
In a 6 Qt Dutch Oven or pot add Olive Oil and Onion. Sauté over med/high heat 5-6 min until Onions are translucent and softened. Add Garlic and sauté 1 minute.
Then add Chicken Broth, Bay Leaf, Salt, Pepper, and Chicken Breasts. Bring to boil over med/high heat, cover and turn heat down to med/low. Let it simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove Chicken and shred it up, then add it back to the pot along with the rice. Cover and simmer 20 more minutes or until rice is fully cooked.
Remove Bay Leaf and discard.
Next in a small bowl, whisk together Eggs and Lemon Juice. Slowly add in 1 ladle of the broth while whisking, then add egg mixture into the soup.
Toss in the Dill Weed and stir. Let it cook about 5 minutes before serving. Taste and add more Lemon juice if needed.
Garnish with Lemon Slices and more fresh Dill Weed if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the eggs are cooked when you slowly add in the broth, then add it to the soup.
Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. You need to add the broth to the eggs very slowly while whisking vigorously, this is called tempering.
Yes, you can use rotisserie chicken instead.
Yes, you can reheat this. I recommend reheating it slowly in a pan over medium heat on the stovetop.
Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze this soup for up to 3 months.
It doesn’t taste eggy. The eggs just give it a nice silky texture.
More Soup Recipes
- Gluten Free French Onion Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Fajita Soup
- Curry Cauliflower Soup
- Spicy Sausage and White Bean Soup with Spinach
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup with Lemon
- Italian Sausage and Wild Rice Soup
- Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Parmesan Crisps
- Lemon Chicken Quinoa Soup with Spinach
- Leftover Turkey Wild Rice Soup
- Potato Corn Chowder
If you try this recipe let me know what you think! Leave a comment, rate it, share it on social media, or take a picture and tag it #tastefulventure on Instagram! I LOVE seeing what you guys cook up.
Cheers!
More Chicken Recipes:
- Creamy Chicken Sausage and Spinach Pasta
- The Best White Chicken Chili
- Grilled Mojo Spatchcock Chicken
- Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Thighs
- Spinach and Provolone Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken Stuffed with Brie and Rosemary
- Blackened Chicken Caesar Salad
Greek Lemon Chicken Rice Soup (Avgolemono)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs EVOO extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large Sweet Onion chopped
- 3 cloves minced Garlic
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 Bay Leaf
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 boneless skinless Chicken Breasts
- ½ cup Arborio Rice
- Juice from 1 Lemon
- 3 Eggs
- ¼ cup chopped fresh Dill Weed
Instructions
- In 6 Qt Dutch Oven add EVOO and Onion.
- Saute over med/high heat 5-6 min until Onions are translucent and softened.
- Add Garlic and saute 1 minutes.
- Add Chicken Broth, Bay Leaf, Salt, Pepper, and Chicken Breasts.
- Bring to boil over med/high heat, cover and turn heat down to med/low.
- Let simmer 20 minutes.
- Remove Chicken and shred.
- Add Chicken back to the pot.
- Add Rice.
- Cover and simmer 20 more minutes.
- Remove Bay Leaf.
- In a small bowl whisk together Eggs and Lemon Juice.
- Slowly add in 1 ladle of the broth while whisking, then add egg mixture into the soup.
- Add in Dill Weed and stir.
- Let cook about 5 minutes before serving.
- Taste and add more Lemon juice if needed.
- Garnish with Lemon Slices and more fresh Dill Weed.
- Enjoy!
Jodi says
This looks delicious and I am a huge fan of Lemon Rice Soup. I’m curious to know how this soup is, re-heated, the day after it has been made. I would like to make it for a school function and would have to make it the night before. Should I add more broth when reheating?
Sara says
Hi Jodi, Once the eggs have been added, there’s no sure way to reheat the soup without the risk of curdling. This is the kind of soup that is best to eat as soon as it’s been made. Not to say you can’t reheat it, it just won’t be the same.
Jodi says
Hmmm. I wonder if I could do everything except the egg and then do that the next day. Or maybe I could use something else as a thickening agent? Any advice?
Sara says
I would suggest making this for yourself first, reheat it the next day to see how you like it. I’ve reheated this and it still tastes great, but it’s just never the same as when it’s fresh out of the pot. 🙂
Beach Mom says
FYI, I’ve made it the day of and the day before and I didn’t have any curdling issues. This is our favorite soup! So yummy. Thank you
Sara says
So glad you liked it!!
Jonathan says
Jodi, thats exactly how I would do it, add eggs only to the portion you are going to consuming and save the rest for later, reheat repeat and enjoy.
Cheers.
Elysia says
We have it for lunch the next day we make it every time and it reheats wonderfully. Just low and slow.
Maddy says
To reheat the next day, I simply used the Defrost setting on my microwave in 30-second increments, stirring and testing the temperature after each cycle until the soup was warmed to my liking. No curdling occurred using this method to reheat.
Erin says
Has anyone tried this in an Instant Pot?
Marie says
Sauté the chicken first in the pot lightly browning (not cooking all the way). Add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. All all other ingredients and pressure cook for 20 minutes with quick release. Remove chicken, shred, and then add back to the pot. I had chunks of egg adding the lemon and egg to the pot prior to cooking. I may follow the recipe more closely and add lemon/egg mixture after cooking next time. I would also add more lemon. It was delicious!
Nancy Campbell says
I made this and it was delicious! I had the chicken stock on hand, so I doubled the amount of broth and seasonings and it was still very thick. I can’t imagine it with only one quart of stock. Well worth the effort!
Sara says
So glad you liked it Nancy:)
Hollis Martin says
I thought this recipe was quite good and easy to make. Next time I think I may try using only 2 eggs and a bit more lemon juice.
Melanie H says
This was FABULOUS! I will definitely make it again. I, too, used long grain rice and Had very little broth when I went to ladle it into the eggs. I added 3 more cups of chicken broth and warmed it before ladling into the eggs. The juice of a large lemon was just right for us. Good thing I did because we all wanted seconds and had a little leftover.
Melanie H says
P S. I live in the sunshine state, too!
Sara says
🙂
Yvette says
Hello! Making this soup. Is it 3 eggs or 3 egg yolk?
Sara says
Hi Yvette, it’s 3 eggs.
Sara says
So glad you liked this Melanie, that’s for the feedback!
Maida says
Hello!
I’m dying to try this recipe. However, why do u add the eggs? I’m not a fan of eggs. And actually dnt eat them at all. Will u tAste the egg?
Sara says
Hey Maida, The eggs work as a thickening agent for this soup. You can’t really taste the eggs in this. Let me know if you try it out! 🙂
Shanna says
I had Pieces of egg in my soup, did I just cook to high or long?? Good still ?
Sarah says
Is there something else we can sub for the eggs? Like cornstarch?
Sarah says
This is my new favorite soup! I have made this three times in the past two weeks. My husband LOVES it too. I don’t use any dill because I don’t like dill, and instead of 1 lemon I used 1 and a half lemons. It’s delicious, thanks for a great recipe!
Sara says
Hey Sarah, Thank you so much for the great feedback, so glad you liked it! 🙂
Stephanie says
O.M.Geeeee …. Made this last night to accompany our Chicken Kebobs and Greek Potatoes and wasn’t certain how it would turn out as I’ve tried to make this soup from other recipes but WOW, this one was easy to follow, tons of flavor and turned out amazing. My husband commented on the smell going through the house and I couldn’t help but sneak a small cup of it before bedtime. The soup is for dinner tonight so i’m guessing it will have gotten even tastier from the flavors sitting overnight. Looking forward to it again this evening. Great job on this one!!!
Sara says
Hey Stephanie, Love the great feedback! So glad you all liked this! 🙂
Sara says
Thanks for the feedback Carolyn, so glad you liked it! 🙂
alyece says
Mine didn’t turn out like this at all. I went to get some of the broth out to put in with the eggs, and it was all gone!! What did I do wrong?
Tracy says
Made this tonight. Added extra lemon and made 2.5 recipe. Just had regular long grain rice and that worked just as well. Fed my hubby and I, filled a pint size mason jar for his lunch and still have a big container for the freezer. Yummy!! Thanks for a great recipe.
Sara says
So glad you liked it Tracy! It’s one of my favorite soups to make!
Annabelle says
Can this be made a day ahead and then reheated and kept warm in a crock pot to take to a traveling dinner party? It looks beautiful and my mouth is watering already. Thank you.
Sara says
Hi Annabelle, I have not tried that method. If you do try it let me know how it works out!
Brenda says
Did anyone try making ahead? Cooking it and reheating? I’d like to try!
Kerry says
I literately just finished making this and it is AWSOME! I used the juice of 2 lemons and a different rice thought.
Thank You!
Sara says
You’re welcome Kerry, so glad you liked it!
Annebelle says
I did go ahead and made if on the day I needed it. It was very well received by all and my only comment was to possibly add more chicken broth next time.
I do want to thank you for having the comments be the kind that you can click to see any further comments that are made. So often I forget to go back to see if a question has been answered on other blogs. Thanks for that and your great recipes
Sara says
Thanks for the feedback Annebelle! 🙂
Cindy says
Hi, I made this soup last night for dinner it was a pretty color, looked so nice with the fresh dill on sprinkled on top and absolutely delicious!
I doubled the recipe and used bone-in chicken breasts it was easy to make and well worth the effort.
Sara says
Awesome Cindy, glad you liked it! It’s one of my favorite soups to make:)
Linda cCorson says
Great soup! Will double the next time I make it.
Sara says
So glad you liked it Linda!
Linda says
Can not wait to try this soup recipe
Sara says
Hope you like it Linda, it’s one of my favorite comfort foods! 🙂
Emma says
Is the egg considered cooked once it is added or is it still raw?
Sara says
Hi Emma, Yes the egg gets fully cooked when made this way.
Anne says
Can you freeze this soup?
Bonnie Burdis says
Sounds delicious!
Shelly says
I cheated a bit and used rotisserie chicken and did not have fresh dill, but it was delish and pretty! I will make it again for sure!
Sara says
Rotisserie chicken works just as well! Glad you liked it Shelly:)