Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chicken & Rice Soup)

If you love a good chicken and rice combo, this Greek Avgolemono soup is always a winner. Shredded chicken, rice, and a few simple vegetables are stirred into a silky smooth lemon-and-egg broth for a cozy balanced meal.

Avgolemono soup in a white bowl with a spoon

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So, What’s Avgolemono Anyways?

If you’ve never had Avgolemono before, it’s a smooth Greek sauce made from an egg, lemon, and broth mixture. It’s often spooned on a variety of cooked vegetables and meats, but the taste of it in soup form really hits the spot for Grecian-style comfort food.

Now, I’m fully aware that I may be biased towards this recipe, given how much I love dishes with a Mediterranean flair (hence my one pan chicken and rice, Greek sheet pan chicken, or Greek chicken kabobs)… but I’m confident you’re going to love it too. And make it repeatedly during soup season. Because what’s a better feeling than cozying up with a big, hearty bowl of chicken soup?

Ingredients for Avgolemono soup on a table

Here’s the Ingredients You’ll Need

The ingredients are fairly simple, although, I will say I created a small shortcut. Instead of cooking a whole chicken from scratch to create the shredded chicken and broth, I’m using a rotisserie chicken and boxed chicken broth. I’m also using pre-cooked white rice.

Is this an authentic avgolemono soup? Technically, no, but it follows the same concept, with very similar results and flavor. You know me – I’m all for simplifying things as much as I can for a seamless (and easy!) cooking experience. Here’s what you’ll need:

Vegetables: All you need are onions and celery to accompany the chicken in this soup. But for more ideas on other veggies to add, I’ve got some recommendations below.
Chicken: There’s a few ways to go about this – you can make my shredded chicken recipe with chicken breasts, you can make my slow cooker whole chicken, or you can shred a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the market (which is how I’m doing it today).
Chicken Broth: If you cooked a whole chicken, you’ll use the same broth. But if you’re making it with a store-bought bird, grab your favorite low-sodium chicken broth.
Eggs: Only two large eggs are needed to balance out the lemon ratio.
Lemons: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is needed here – no bottled versions!
Rice: Stick to short grain white rice such as arborio for a fluffier consistency that aligns with the soup’s creamy texture. And if you don’t have a rice cooker, I’ve got a full video on how to cook rice in a pot. I recommend making the rice a day or two before (meal prep it!) so you can whip up this recipe super fast during the week.
Herbs: All you need is fresh dill or parsley to sprinkle on top, or stirred into the soup!

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Avgolemono Soup (the Easy Way)

While there’s many variations on the classic Avgolemono soup, I’m going to show you a quick and easy version, that leverages a little meal prep, so that you can get this nourishing and hearty soup on the table fast. Aka – it’s an easy weeknight meal!

Cooking vegetables in a pot for Avgolemono soup

Cook the vegetables. Saute the onion and celery in a large pan with oil for 3 to 4 minutes, until they’re slightly softened.

Pouring broth into a pot for Avgolemono soup

Add the broth. Then season with salt and pepper, and bring it to a simmer.

Blending the eggs and lemon juice together

Make the Avgolemono sauce. Traditionally, you’d whisk the eggs and lemon juice separately by hand, then temper the eggs with ladles full of simmering broth, while continuously whisking.

But if you’ve got a high powered blender, I’ll show you how to get the same creamy consistency – fast! Just blend the eggs, lemon juice, and ¼ cup of the rice for about 20 seconds. Then while blending, slowly stream 2 ladles full of hot broth from the saucepan to temper the eggs. This method is foolproof and it won’t curdle when you add it back to the pot! You can see how I do it on the video below.

Avgolemono soup in a big white pot with a ladle

Combine everything together. Stir the lemon-egg mixture into the lightly simmering stock, along with the rice and chicken. Let it keep cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the chicken and rice is warmed through. Once that’s done, garnish with freshly chopped dill and you’re ready to serve!

Pro tip: A classic Avgolemono soup is quite full-bodied! If you’d like a thinner, more brothy soup, just add another cup or two of chicken broth. You’ll also get an extra serving that way!

A Few Tips to Tweak This Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup

Add more vegetables: You can stir in some baby spinach or arugula at the very end for a greens-boost!
Add more herbs: In this recipe, I only sprinkle the chopped dill on top for garnish. But you can also chop up some more herbs to stir into the soup.

Storage Options

To store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
To freeze: Pour the soup into a freezer-safe container or silicone soup tray (like my favorite Souper Cubes). It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
For reheating: Whether you’re reheating from the fridge or freezer, make sure to do it on medium-low heat. You can reheat in the microwave (for a single serving), or a bigger quantity in a pot on the stovetop. You may need to add more broth or water to thin it down when reheating.

Avgolemono Soup Recipe Video

Before you dive into tempering the eggs, give the below video a watch to make sure you don’t run into any complications!

More Easy, Comforting Soup Recipes

Although this Avgolemono soup will become a weeknight staple, I’ve got a few more soup recipes that are surely runner ups. Here’s a glimpse of some favorites below!

If you love to weave Mediterranean recipes into your routine, make sure to keep this Avgolemono soup in mind come fall and winter! And once you make it, let me know how you liked it in a comment below.