Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

5 from 5 votes
8 Comments

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This Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (aka Avgolemono) uses the Greek method of adding eggs to thicken the broth. It’s so fresh and delicious!

Two bowls of Greek Lemon Chicken Soup topped with lemon slices and fresh dill.
Featured with this recipe
  1. Ingredients in Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
  2. Variations
  3. Recipe Tip
  4. Frequently Asked Questions about Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
  5. Storing Leftovers
  6. More Mediterranean Recipes
  7. How to Make Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
  8. Greek Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe

This Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (aka Avgolemono, aka Egg-In-Lemon Soup) is a delicious and easy soup that you are going to want to make again and again. It combines so many fresh flavors into a warm and hearty comfort food. Lemon is one of my favorite flavors and this soup is packed with it. Whip up a batch in under an hour!

Ingredients in Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

  • Chicken Breasts – cooked and shredded. Or use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken.
  • Mirepoix – a mix of celery, carrots, and onion that gives this soup its flavor base.
  • Seasonings – garlic, bay leaves, salt and pepper
  • Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest – your Greek Lemon Chicken Soup will taste a MILLION times better with fresh lemon juice. The bottled stuff just won’t cut it here.
  • Chicken Broth – we use the low-sodium broth and then add salt to taste.
  • Pearl Couscous – an Israeli pasta made with semolina flour.
  • Fresh Dill – you can also use dried dill if needed
  • Egg Yolks – egg yolks are used to thicken the broth and make it super creamy.
Ladle full of greek lemon chicken soup.


Variations

  • Vegetables – add vegetables like zucchini, spinach, kale, or arugula for even more fresh flavor and greens.
  • Grains – you can use other grains in place of pearl couscous, but you will have to adjust the recipe a bit. If you use orzo or acini di pepe, then add them at the same time as you would the couscous, but they will need a little longer to cook. If you use rice or quinoa, then I would suggest cooking them separately and then adding them at the end right before the egg-lemon sauce. Basmati rice, brown rice, or wild rice are all good options.
  • Seasonings – If you aren’t able to season the chicken before cooking (if using rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken) add a little garlic powder, lemon pepper, and oregano to the soup at the same time as the bay leaves.

Recipe Tip

Tempered egg sauce in a glass measuring cup with a fork.

Make sure to temper the egg-lemon sauce before adding it to the soup. Temper it by adding two ladles of hot soup broth to the egg-lemon mixture first. Quickly whisk together. If you skip this step, then you will have scrambled eggs in your soup!

Frequently Asked Questions about Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Why do you put lemon in chicken soup?

Lemon is a great addition to any chicken soup! It balances out the savory and salty flavors of chicken soup and brings a bright, fresh flavor to the dish.

What is the translation of Avgolemono soup?

It translates to eggs-in-lemon soup. It refers to the fact that egg yolks mixed with lemon juice are used to thicken the broth of this soup.

How much lemon juice to add to soup?

Since lemon is a key flavor in this soup, we add ½ cup. However, if you are adding lemon juice to a typical chicken soup, use about ¼ cup.

Read Next: 35+ Quick and Easy To Follow Dinner Ideas Your Family Will Surely Love

A bowl of Greek Lemon Chicken Soup topped with a lemon slice and fresh dill with a spoonful taken out.

Storing Leftovers

Store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge. Leftovers should be eaten within 5-7 days. To freeze, place soup in freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. You can reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

More Mediterranean Recipes

How to Make Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

A bowl of Greek Lemon Chicken Soup topped with a lemon slice and fresh dill

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

5 from 5 votes
This Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (aka Avgolemono) uses the Greek method of adding eggs to thicken the broth. It's a very popular soup in Greece.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Dinner, Soup
Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean
Servings 6

Video

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until soft, stirring frequently, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
    Celery, carrots, and onion cooking in a large pot
  • Add chicken broth, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to medium low. Simmer for 15 minutes.
    Greek Lemon Chicken Soup Broth
  • Add cooked chicken, pearl couscous, and lemon zest. Simmer for another 7-8 minutes, until couscous is al dente.
    Ladle full of Greek Lemon Chicken Soup before adding egg sauce
  • Whisk egg yolks and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Add two ladles full of hot broth to the bowl and briskly whisk together. This tempers the eggs and will keep them from scrambling in the soup.
    Tempered egg sauce
  • Remove soup from heat and pour egg mixture in. Stir to combine. Stir in fresh dill.
    Ladle full of greek lemon chicken soup
  • Serve with lemon slices and fresh dill for garnish.
    A bowl of Greek Lemon Chicken Soup topped with a lemon slice and fresh dill

Notes

There are a few ways to prepare shredded chicken for this recipe. See our post How to Make Shredded Chicken the Right Way for a complete guide. My favorite way is in the Instant Pot. 
  1. Place 3 chicken breasts in the Instant Pot on a trivet.
  2. Add ½ cup water or broth, seasonings and a little butter. For seasonings I used salt, lemon pepper, garlic powder, and oregano.
  3. Cook for 20 minutes on Manual – high pressure.
  4. Quick release, then remove chicken and shred.
  5. Add the chicken back into the instant pot and stir into the liquid. Place lid on the pot and set to keep warm until you add the chicken to the soup. 
You can also use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken! 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 411kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 39gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 170mgSodium: 704mgPotassium: 1083mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 5605IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 2mg

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About the author

Kelsey Crist

Kelsey lives in Washington with her husband, Alex, and two cats, Diana and Nova. Her happy place is in the kitchen listening to an audiobook and trying new recipes. When she's not in the kitchen you can find her hiking, shopping at Trader Joe's, or playing Animal Crossing. Her favorite food is pasta and Alex loves when she makes Homemade Oreos.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Great soup! I made this twice. I can’t wait to make it again. My husband doesn’t like lemons and he loved it.