Greek

Medium · Hot

Chicken and Rice Avgolemono Soup

Chicken breast simmers gently in the pot with celery and white rice until the broth is light but full of body, and then egg and lemon are whisked together off the heat and stirred in slowly so the soup turns silky and faintly pale — creamy without a drop of cream. The lemon is not a garnish here; it is the whole point, threading a bright, clean finish through something deeply nourishing and warm.

Recipe by

Esther Vogel

The Ladle Keeper

Prep

15 min

Cook

30 min

Rest

5 min

Total

50 min

Method

Building the Chicken Broth

Melt butter in a heavy stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until softened and fragrant, about 8 minutes.

Nestle the chicken breasts into the pot. Pour in enough water to cover the chicken by about 2 inches — roughly 8 cups. Add the thyme sprigs, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Use an instant-read thermometer to verify the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part before removing.

Finishing the Soup

Shred the cooled chicken into bite-sized pieces using two forks.

Bring the strained broth back to a simmer. Add the white rice and cook gently for 15 minutes until tender but not mushy.

While the rice cooks, prepare the avgolemono. Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk briskly. Gradually whisk in the juice of both lemons until the mixture is smooth and slightly frothy.

Temper the egg-lemon mixture by slowly ladling about 2 cups of the hot broth into the bowl, whisking constantly — this prevents the eggs from scrambling.

Pour the tempered egg-lemon mixture back into the pot, stirring steadily. Add the shredded chicken. Cook on very low heat, stirring, for 2 minutes until the soup thickens slightly and turns silky.

Remove from heat. Taste and adjust salt. Serve in deep bowls with a generous squeeze of lemon over each serving if desired, alongside crusty bread for dunking.

Nutri-Score

Excellent balance

A–E · lower is better · score -4

Calories

430

per serving

High in protein · 29gLow sugar · 6g

Protein

29g

Carbs

51g

Fat

13g

Sat. fat

Fiber

Sugar

Sodium

770mg

Diabetes FriendlyHeart HealthyWeight ManagementBlood Pressure FriendlyHigh ProteinLow SugarFiber RichWhole Grain

Nutri-Score is a general nutritional-balance guide, not medical or dietary advice.

Environmental impact

Moderate impact

A–E · lower is better · includes estimates

kg CO₂e

1.3

per serving

CCarbonAEU all-round· carbon sets the grade

Water

1.5m³

Land

43Pt

Runoff

0.1g P

Chicken breast drives 65% of this recipe’s estimated footprint.

Carbon from Poore & Nemecek 2018; water, land & runoff from Agribalyse — modelled averages for comparing recipes, not a measurement of your groceries.

Flavor Profile

Umami

Sweet

Salty

Sour

Bitter

Spicy

Textures

SilkyTenderCreamySaucy

Aromas

HerbalCitrusSavoryAromatic

Kitchen Equipment

Primary Tool

Dutch Oven

Dutch Oven Stockpot Fine Mesh Sieve Mixing Bowl Wooden Spoon Ladle Measuring Cups Measuring Spoons Tongs

Counter FootprintMedium

Techniques

Poaching StrainingTemperingSimmering Whisking

Safety & Storage

Cooking Temperature

Temper the egg-lemon mixture slowly with hot broth (about 2 cups) by ladling gradually while whisking constantly to prevent scrambling. Never add eggs directly to boiling liquid.
Maintain the broth at a gentle simmer throughout cooking. A rolling boil will break the avgolemono emulsion and make the soup grainy.

Cross Contamination

Use separate cutting boards for raw chicken and vegetables to prevent bacterial transfer from poultry to ready-to-eat ingredients.

Storage

Cool soup rapidly and refrigerate within 2 hours. The egg liaison makes this soup perishable. Consume within 3-4 days. Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours total.

High Risk Population

This soup contains eggs and should be thoroughly heated to 165°F before serving to vulnerable populations such as young children, elderly, pregnant individuals, or immunocompromised persons.

Allergen Warning

Clearly label leftovers as containing eggs and dairy. The eggs are integrated throughout the soup, making cross-contamination cleanup critical in shared kitchen spaces.

Handling

When tempering eggs, add broth in a thin stream while whisking continuously. If the eggs are added too quickly or the broth is too hot, the proteins will coagulate into scrambled eggs rather than a silky liaison.

Equipment Safety

Use a fine-mesh strainer when straining the chicken broth to remove small herb stems and ensure a smooth texture.

Pro Tips

Technique

Never let the soup boil after you've added the avgolemono — a rolling boil will scramble those eggs into sad ribbons instead of a silky, voluptuous sauce. Keep it at the lowest simmer and stir gently.

Substitution

If you don't have fresh thyme, two bay leaves and a handful of parsley stems will carry the broth just fine. The lemon, though — that's non-negotiable.

From the chef

Avgolemono earns its magic through one careful step: whisking egg and lemon together off the heat and tempering them slowly with hot broth before folding the mixture back into the pot. Done right, the soup turns silky and faintly pale, creamy without a drop of cream. The chicken poaches gently first, the rice cooks until just tender, and then the egg-lemon ribbon goes in and transforms the broth into something golden and alive. Do not rush the tempering. That squeeze of lemon over each bowl at the end is still the whole point.

Esther VogelThe Ladle Keeper

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TagsGreekAvgolemonoChickenRiceOne PotSilkyLemonEgg Liaison

AllergensEggsMilkCelery

Source: generated · May 30, 2026