Warm and delicious chicken soup is the ultimate home remedy to strengthen our immune system in winter and protect us from flu and cold. Be it miso soup, gazpacho, potato soup, or goulash in a loaf of bread, soup is the typical appetizer in most European countries and every culture and family has its own version and recipe. Avgolemono soup is at the top of the list of popularity in Greece. Creamy Lemon and Chicken Soup is the hallmark of Greek cuisine as we know it and love it – authentic, fresh and easy to prepare. Whether it’s the classic Avgolemono soup recipe or rather the vegetarian version – our recipe ideas always make for a real treat!
Kotosoupa Avgolemono is a classic soup made primarily with tender chicken, rice, and a delicious egg-lemon sauce. Delicious, simple and extremely tasty, this Greek chicken soup is undoubtedly the ultimate dish for those cold fall and winter days. Avgolemono is actually an egg and lemon sauce and is used in a variety of dishes. From fish and meat to grilled vegetables and pasta – the creamy sauce gives every dish a refreshing, citrusy taste.
Avgolemono soup – what should you pay attention to when preparing it?
Avgolemono soup owes its unique creamy texture to the rice and eggs. Egg and lemon sauce is used as a thickening agent, and although the recipe may seem rather simple, there are a few points to keep in mind when preparing it.
- So that the eggs do not curdle and clump from the hot broth, it must be at room temperature.
- When adding avgolimono sauce to soup, it should be warm, but not hot. So when you’re done cooking, take the pot off the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes or add some cold water to stop the cooking process.
- You need to stir the eggs so that the mixture is about the same temperature as the soup.
Soften the eggs and add them to the soup – this is the right way
Adding raw eggs to hot broth is a bit tricky, and anyone who does this knows that a lot of things can go wrong. But once you know how to do it right, it becomes fairly easy to prepare.
- First, put the eggs in a clean bowl and beat well using the whisk.
- Then slowly pour a small amount of the broth into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Repeat the process until the sauce and soup are evenly warm.
- In the next step, slowly stir the egg mixture into the saucepan again, stirring constantly. Most importantly, to prevent eggs from coagulating and spoiling the taste, do not bring the finished soup to a boil again, even when reheating it.
- In Greek villages, people make a kissing sound when you put afgolimono in soup. This is supposed to be a magic trick to prevent eggs from coagulating.
Avgolemono soup recipe
Now that you know all the tips and tricks for making the perfect avgolimono soup, it’s time to take your culinary skills to the next level and prepare the recipe!
Required components:
- 1 chicken broth about 1 kg or as a substitute for chicken thighs
- 2 liters of water
- 1 large onion
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 islands
- 1 stick of celery
- 1 leek
- 130gm rice
- 2 eggs
- Lemon juice
- Salt and Pepper
- fresh parsley
Prepare:
- In order for the recipe for avgolimono soup to be truly original, we will prepare the chicken broth ourselves. If this is too time-consuming for you, you can, of course, use the ready-made version from the supermarket – but the taste will be slightly different.
- Peel the onions, peel and finely chop the celery, leeks and carrots.
- Wash the chicken soup well and put it in a large saucepan with 2 liters of water. Cover and bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.
- Add bay leaves and vegetables to the broth and season with salt.
- Cover and simmer over low heat for about an hour. If white foam forms, remove it with a spoon.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool. Once cool, cut it into bite-size pieces with your hands. Discard the skin and bones.
- Raise the heat and let the broth boil again.
- Put the rice in a colander and rinse until the water runs clear.
- Add rice to the broth and cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove the soup from the heat and let it cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the jelimono sauce. To do this, remove about ½ cup of the broth from the pot and set it aside.
- In a bowl, beat the eggs for 2 minutes, and gradually stir in the fresh lemon juice, while continuing to beat.
- Then add the broth spoon by spoon, stirring constantly.
- Put the chicken back in the pot and finally stir the egg mixture slowly into the soup.
- Heat the finished avgolimono soup over low heat, stirring constantly.
- Season with salt, pepper and fresh parsley, serve and enjoy!
- If you reheat the soup the next day, it will be a little thicker and that’s completely normal. Feel free to add a few tablespoons of water to achieve the desired consistency.
Chickpea vegetable soup
The vegan diet has become so popular that each dish has its own vegetarian version. Easy to prepare and ready in less than 30 minutes, this delicious soup is the ultimate vegetarian dinner!
Ingredients:
- 1.5 liters of vegetable broth
- 100 grams of rice
- 850gm canned chickpeas or white beans
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 3 finely chopped garlic cloves
- 3 small carrots chopped
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 80 grams of tahini paste
- Juice of 3 lemons
- 1 handful of kale or spinach
- Salt and Pepper
- fresh dill
Prepare:
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and sauté onions and carrots for 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another minute.
- Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
- Add chickpeas and rice, reduce heat, and cook for 9-10 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the stove and let it cool slightly.
- Mix the tahini and lemon juice in a bowl and gradually stir in the soup.
- Add spinach or kale to the pot and my heart a little.
- Season with salt, pepper and dill and serve.
