Kotosoupa Avgolemono, or Greek Chicken, Egg, and Rice soup, is one of my favorites of all time. If it is ever on the menu, especially at a diner, you better believe I am ordering it. With an extra side of lemons, because I can never have enough. This traditional Greek soup is made creamy from egg yolks and then brightened with lemon juice and fresh herbs. It is both dairy and gluten-free!

chicken and rice soup topped with a sliver of lemon and sprig of dill in a small white bowl with a silver spoon poking out. A wooden bowl of salt and green bowl of lemons in the background.

I have to admit-- I love soup! And have plenty of other cozy soup recipes to share.

favorite classic soup recipes

So, what actually is avgolemono?

While most people think of it as soup, avgolemono is actually a egg lemon sauce! Avgolemono (pronounced Ah-vo-lem-on-o, the "g" is very faint, almost silent), is a silky, light sauce made from eggs, broth, and lemons. It can be served with lots of things, including rotisserie chicken and fish.

In this traditional soup, small pieces of chicken and rice are added.

kotosoupa avgolemono in a white speckled pot with a silver ladle coming out

How is Kotosoupa Avgolemono made creamy?

There are two factors that go into making this a creamy soup. One, the egg, and two the blended rice.

First off, tempered egg yolks are added to add a richness and a creaminess to the soup. Some recipes call for a whole egg, whites included. When you add the whites, the soup will be more frothy. This is a preference thing, and some people prefer it, or grew up with it that way. Try it both ways and see what you think!

Second, a portion of the cooked rice is blended with the tempered egg yolks to both thicken and add creaminess to the soup. The more rice you blend, the thicker the soup will be.

Ingredients

olive oil
onion
chicken stock
fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
salt and pepper
egg yolks
white rice
chicken breast
fresh dill, optional

Instructions for soup

In a 6-qt pot, add olive oil place over medium heat. Add diced onion and saute until translucent.
Add chicken stock and bring it up to a simmer.
In a blender, add egg yolks, lemon juice, ½ cup of cooked rice, and 1 cup of the hot stock.
Puree until smooth.
Pour this pureed mixture into the simmering stock and add in the rest of the rice and your chicken. Simmer until it has thickened to desired consistency, appx. 10-15 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, along with fresh chopped dill. Stir and serve.

avgolemono in a white bowl with lemon and dill for garnish and a silver spoon coming out

Top Tip

When you first blend the amount of rice specified in the recipe and add it back to the soup, it may seem a little thin. Remember, the soup will still simmer for a bit longer and get thicker in the process. Wait a bit before blending more rice, otherwise the soup may end up too thick.

If you end up with a soup that is too thick, simply add in another cup or so of chicken broth and lemon juice to taste!

How do you temper the eggs for avgolemono soup?

two egg yolks in a white bowl on a light wood background

This is the one part that takes a little effort, but trust me-- it's not as scary as it sounds! Tempering an egg, simply means bringing it up to a temperature more slowly than simply tossing it in the super hot broth. In doing this, you keep the creaminess, and you don't end up with a poached egg!

To temper: Add some of the warm broth to the eggs in a separate bowl (or the blender, depending on whether you are using a standard or immersion blender). You are going to use the same bowl to blend the rice. After the stock has been added and the rice blended, add this egg mixture back into the full pot of stock.

Be sure that you don't let the soup boil once the tempered eggs have been added, or they will curdle.

How to serve

4 lemon halves squeezed out on a wooden board.

This soup is traditionally served with a generous shake of freshly ground pepper, dill, or mint. I also love some extra lemon wedges on the side to squeeze in.

Can you freeze Greek Lemon Chicken soup?

Yes, you can! There is no cream in this kotosoupa avgolemono, so it freezes well. Allow to cool completely and then store in an airtight container and freeze.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then heat in a saucepan for best results.