Chicken avgolemono soup
Κοτόσουπα αυγολέμονο (kotosoupa avgolemono): chicken and rice soup thickened with silky egg and lemon
Kotosoupa is what a Greek grandmother puts on the stove when someone has a cold, and on the night after Easter Saturday's midnight service many families break the fast with a lemony soup much like it. A whole chicken poaches with onion, carrot and celery, rice cooks in the broth, and at the end beaten eggs and lemon are tempered in so the soup turns creamy and pale without any cream. The chicken is often served on the side with potatoes, or shredded back into the bowl. Chef's tip: whisk the eggs until frothy before adding lemon and hot broth; it makes the soup silky and helps stop it curdling.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the broth
For the soup
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put the 3 ⅓ lb whole chicken in a large pot with the 10 ½ cups cold water, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery sticks, 1 bay leaf, 2 tsp salt and 8 black peppercorns. Bring slowly to the boil, skimming off the grey foam for the first 10 minutes.
15 minStep 2: Lower the heat, half-cover and simmer gently for 60 minutes. The chicken is cooked when the thigh meat reaches 165°F and pulls easily from the bone.
60 minStep 3: Lift the chicken onto a board. Strain the broth into a clean pan; you need about 2 litres. Discard the vegetables or chop the carrot back in. When the chicken is cool enough, shred the meat and throw away the skin and bones.
10 minStep 4: Bring the broth back to the boil, add the 5 ½ oz short-grain rice and simmer for 15–18 minutes until very soft. Turn off the heat and let it stop bubbling for 2 minutes.
18 minStep 5: In a bowl, whisk the 3 eggs for 2 minutes until pale and frothy. Whisk in the ½ cup lemon juice, then slowly whisk in 2 ladles of hot broth, one at a time.
4 minStep 6: Pour the egg mixture back into the pot, stirring constantly, over the lowest heat for 2–3 minutes until the soup thickens slightly and looks silky. A common mistake is letting it boil now; the eggs scramble into threads. Keep it below a simmer.
3 minStep 7: Return the shredded chicken to warm through, season with 1 pinch black pepper and scatter with 1 tbsp fresh dill. Serve straight away; reheat leftovers gently and never boil.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chicken avgolemono soup take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 80 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of carrots?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
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