Avgolemono Soup Recipe

Simmer the chicken

Place chicken, water, halved onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, peppercorns and 1 tsp kosher salt in a large pot. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then lower to a simmer. Skim any foam that rises to the surface. Simmer gently for 25–30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and tender.

Remove the chicken to a plate and keep warm. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot or bowl, discarding solids and peppercorns. Reserve about 1 cup of the hot strained broth for tempering the eggs (note this in the Avgolemono Emulsion ingredients). Taste the broth and season with up to an additional 1/2 tsp kosher salt if needed.

Return the strained broth to the pot and bring to a gentle simmer. In a small skillet, heat olive oil or butter over medium heat and briefly toast the rinsed rice for 1–2 minutes, stirring, to coat the grains. Add the toasted rice to the simmering broth, cover, and cook until rice is tender, about 15–18 minutes. Check and stir once; if the broth absorbs too quickly, add up to 1/2 cup extra hot water or broth.

While rice cooks, shred or chop the reserved cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, crack the eggs and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the fresh lemon juice until well combined.

Very slowly whisk about 1 cup of the reserved hot strained broth into the egg-lemon mixture in a thin stream to temper the eggs. Continue whisking constantly so the eggs do not scramble. Once warmed and emulsified (mixture will be slightly frothy), slowly whisk the tempered egg-lemon mixture back into the pot with the simmering rice and broth off the heat or with heat very low. Stir gently and continuously; do not boil after adding the emulsion or it may curdle.

Return the pot to the lowest heat for 1–2 minutes just to warm through — do not allow the soup to boil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. If the soup seems too thick, add up to 1/2 cup hot water or broth to reach desired consistency.

Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup and heat gently until warmed through (about 1–2 minutes). Stir in chopped parsley if using.

Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with additional cracked black pepper or a light drizzle of olive oil if desired. Serve with warmed pita bread (2 pieces) and lemon wedges on the side so diners can add extra lemon if they like.