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Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup (Kotosoupa Avgolemono)

Name: Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup (Kotosoupa Avgolemono)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 1 medium carrot, diced small; 1 small onion, diced small; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 10 cups (2.4L) chicken broth; 2 bay leaves; 1 cup (210g) orzo, dry; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1/2 cup (118ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice; 3 large eggs, room temperature; fresh herbs, chopped (Optional garnish. Parsley, dill, or chives.)

Mar 10, 2023 by Asha · This post may contain affiliate links · 46 Comments

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This Greek lemon chicken orzo soup is rich and velvety, prepared Greek-style with authentic avgolemono (egg-lemon sauce) from scratch. The fragrant lemon adds a bright and tangy zing to simple, healthy ingredients. And it is thick and comforting without being heavy. This quick and easy version takes just 30 minutes to make, making it the perfect, delicious weeknight meal.

A bowl of Greek lemon chicken orzo soup (avgolemono soup) on a striped napkin.

Kotosoupa avgolemono (κοτόσουπασούπας αβγολέμονο), or avgolemono soup, is prepared in many homes in both Greece and Cyprus, and is considered to be a comfort food. This Mediterranean soup is the best. I absolutely love it. It's the perfect hearty, comforting dish to warm up with in cold weather, but I would eat a bowl of this any time of the year. If you haven't tried it yet, you are really in for a treat.

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What is avgolemono?
Ingredients
Substitutions
Variations
Instructions
Equipment
How to serve it
Storage
Tip for success
FAQ
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Looking for other tasty ways to use lemons? This soba noodle salad is bright with fresh lemons, and this cucumber lemonade is insanely refreshing and flavourful.

A close up of Greek lemon chicken orzo soup (avgolemono soup) in a bowl.

What is avgolemono?

Avgolemono (αυγολέμονο), pronounced 'ahv-goh-lem-uh-noh', refers to a tempered sauce made from egg, lemon juice, and warm broth. This silky and fragrant sauce is used in Greek recipes, especially soups, and serves as a thickening agent - giving it a wonderfully silky and creamy texture with no dairy products and a tangy lemon flavour.

Often considered classic Greek, this sauce was actually originally Sephardic Jewish, made in Iberia before their expulsion from Spain. Called 'agristada,' initially the acidic ingredient used was pomegranate juice, bitter orange juice, or verjuice. However, later lemon juice became the standard.

Ingredients

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts - Traditionally, whole chicken would be boiled in this soup for hours to make homemade stock then shredded. But in this faster and just as tasty weeknight version I like to sauté the chicken to have seasoned, tender, bite-sized pieces.
Olive oil - A nice extra virgin olive oil is best for this dish.
Carrot
Onion
Garlic
Chicken broth
Bay leaves
Dry orzo - Also known as risoni, orzo is a small, rice-shaped pasta. Rice is also often used (see the substitutions section below). The starch of the pasta or rice helps to stabilize the egg-lemon sauce emulsion.
Freshly squeezed lemon juice - It's important to use fresh lemon juice.
Large eggs - Used to thicken the soup. These should be at room temperature.
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes
Garnish with: Chopped, fresh herbs - parsley, dill, or chives (my favourite)

Find the printable recipe card with quantities below.

Overhead of a bowl of A bowl of Greek lemon chicken orzo soup (avgolemono soup).

Substitutions

Cooked, shredded chicken can be used instead of cooking raw chicken. You can boil is yourself or use rotisserie chicken to save time. Add it into the pot right before you add in the avgolemono sauce.
Rice can be used instead of orzo for a more traditional style and thicker soup. Arborio rice, an Italian short-grain rice, is often used because it thickens the soup nicely. If you don't have arborio, another short grain rice would be best. However, any type of rice can be used, such as jasmine, basmati, or brown. If you use rice, rinse it well first. And the simmer time will be longer until the rice is tender (about 15-20 minutes or so).

Variations

More vegetables - Stir in baby spinach or arugula at the end for an extra addition of greens in your Greek lemon chicken orzo soup.
Vegetarian - For a meatless version of avgolemono soup, omit the chicken and substitute the chicken broth with vegetable broth.
Gluten-free - Substitute the orzo with rice for a gluten-free version of this soup. See the notes on how to do this in the substitutions section above.

Instructions

Small dice the onion and carrot, and mince the cloves of garlic. Cut the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces and season them with salt and pepper.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Sauté the chicken for 2-3 minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside for now.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot. Sauté the diced onion and carrot for 3-4 minutes, then add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add in the chicken broth and bay leaves, and raise the temperature to high heat.

Once the broth is boiling, add in the cooked chicken, dry orzo, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until the orzo has cooked, about 10-12 minutes. Remove the soup pot from the heat.

Soup with a bay leaf coming to a boil in a pot.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice with the eggs.

Then very slowly pour in 2 ladle-fulls of broth from the pot, all the while continuing to whisk. The slow addition of the warm broth will temper the eggs, creating the avgolemono sauce. (Adding the broth too quickly will result in cooked pieces of egg.)

A whisk in a bowl of eggs, lemon juice, and broth making avgolemono sauce.

Pour the avgolemono sauce into the pot and stir it in to combine.

A ladle lifting chicken, orzo, and vegetables from the soup.

Serve and optionally garnish with some chopped fresh herbs.

Equipment

To make this recipe you will need the following:

A dutch oven or large pot
A cutting board and knife
A medium mixing bowl
A ladle
A whisk

How to serve it

Serve this Greek lemon chicken orzo soup with a slice of crusty sourdough bread, and maybe a side of fresh greek salad for a satisfying lunch or dinner.

A close up of A bowl of Greek lemon chicken orzo soup (avgolemono soup).

Storage

Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The orzo will soak up some of the broth, making the soup thicker. If you want to thin it out you can add some chicken broth. Personally, I don't mind it as it is still incredibly delicious.

Because there is no dairy in this soup, it freezes well. However, the orzo will get puffy. If you plan to freeze it, you may want to cook the orzo separately and add it after thawing. Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Tip: For meal planning, you can freeze this soup in individually portioned freezer-safe containers and thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Reheating instructions: Reheat in a saucepan over low to medium-low heat until heated through but do not let it come to a boil. This can cause the soup to 'break' and you will have pieces of scrambled eggs like an egg drop soup. Stop heating before it bubbles. Add more chicken broth if you need to thin the soup.

Tip for success

Properly temper the avgolemono sauce. Add the hot broth very slowly with a ladle in one hand while whisking with a whisk in your other hand the whole time. Don't add the broth too quickly. If you find this two-hand method difficult, ask for some help. Do not skip this step.
Never let avgolemono soup boil once you've added the avgolemono sauce into the pot. This includes when reheating leftovers. Doing so can cause the soup to 'break' and there will be floating, scrambled egg whites.

FAQ

What does avgolemono soup taste like?

Avgolemono soup tastes like a rich and flavourful chicken soup made slightly tart and tangy with fresh lemon, and it has a silky, velvety texture.

Can I make avgolemono soup ahead?

Yes, this soup is great for making it ahead as you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If making it ahead you may wish to cook the orzo separately and add it in as you reheat the soup to prevent them from soaking up the broth. Or, you can top it off with more chicken broth. Make sure to reheat over low to medium-low heat and do not allow it to heat to the point of bubbling / boiling.

Is avgolemono safe to eat while pregnant?

Yes, if this recipe is followed properly, the eggs are completely cooked and safe to be consumed while pregnant.

Is avgolemono good for when you're sick?

Yes, avgolemono soup is kind of the Mediterranean version of chicken noodle soup. This warm, healthy, and nutritious soup has extra vitamin C from the fresh lemon juice, too. Next time someone has the sniffles be sure to make a pot of this delicious soup.

Is avgolemono dairy-free?

Yes, avgolemono is dairy-free. It is made creamy by tempering eggs and lemon juice with warm broth.

Is avgolemono gluten-free?

Yes, avgolemono sauce is gluten-free. Make sure to use rice in the soup instead of orzo.

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