Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

5 from 4 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 Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Dinner, Soup

Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean

Keyword: greek lemon chicken soup

Servings:

Calories: 411kcal

Author: Kelsey Crist

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts cooked and shredded, see notes for our preferred method
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 white onion diced
1 1/2 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
2 teaspoons minced garlic
12 cups chicken broth I like to use low-sodium broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup pearl couscous or orzo pasta
zest of two lemons
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 egg yolks
3 Tablespoons fresh dill plus more for garnish
lemon slices for garnish

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.
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.
Add cooked chicken, pearl couscous, and lemon zest. Simmer for another 7-8 minutes, until couscous is al dente.
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.
Remove soup from heat and pour egg mixture in. Stir to combine. Stir in fresh dill.
Serve with lemon slices and fresh dill for garnish.

Video

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.

Place 3 chicken breasts in the Instant Pot on a trivet.
Add 1/2 cup water or broth, seasonings and a little butter. For seasonings I used salt, lemon pepper, garlic powder, and oregano.
Cook for 20 minutes on Manual - high pressure.
Quick release, then remove chicken and shred.
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