Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Light Avgolemono)
Nutrition per serving
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (about 400g)
- 1.5L chicken stock
- 100g orzo
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 eggs
- 60ml fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh dill, chopped, to serve
- Lemon zest, to serve
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, carrots and celery for 5 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.
Add the chicken breasts and the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks. Return the pot to the heat, add the orzo and cook 8 minutes until tender.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the lemon juice. Add a ladle of hot broth to the egg mixture, whisking constantly, to temper it.
Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and slowly pour the egg mixture into the soup, stirring constantly — never let it boil.
Return the shredded chicken to the pot and season with salt, pepper and oregano.
Serve hot, garnished with fresh dill and lemon zest.
This Greek lemon chicken soup is a light, bright take on classic avgolemono — the traditional Greek soup thickened with egg and lemon instead of cream. The result is a warm, comforting broth with a sunny lemony flavor and a silky, velvety texture that feels indulgent while staying light. Chicken breast gently poaches in the savory stock until perfectly tender, then gets shredded and returned to the pot. Orzo, carrots and celery cook right in the same broth, soaking up all the flavor as they soften. The whole magic of the dish happens in the tempering step: eggs are whisked with plenty of fresh lemon juice, then a ladle of hot broth is stirred in to warm the mixture before it goes into the pot. This keeps the eggs from curdling and gives the soup its signature smooth body. The key rule is patience — never let the soup boil once the eggs are in. Each bowl is finished with a shower of fresh dill and a grating of lemon zest for extra brightness. Every serving packs 30 grams of protein for just 310 calories, with 26 grams of carbs, 9 grams of fat and 2 grams of fiber. It is the kind of lunch that tastes like sunshine, feels like a hug and still leaves you light on your feet — equally good fresh or reheated the next day.
