Growing up, Avgolemono was like our Greek penicillin. The minute anyone felt a little bit under the weather, a pot immediately went on the stove.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 5 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 3 1/2- to 4-pound whole chicken
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup orzo
- Kosher salt
- Grated zest and juice of 3 lemons (about 2 tablespoons zest and 1/3 cup juice)
- 2 tablespoons instant flour (such as Wondra)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
Instructions
- Place the chicken, bay leaf and broth in a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer 1 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and let it cool.
- Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Clean out any scum in the bottom of the pot and add the broth back to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then add the orzo and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Check for seasoning here, as you may need to add a few teaspoons salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon zest and juice and the flour. Whisk the eggs into the lemon mixture. Pour a little of the simmering broth slowly over the egg mixture and whisk it together. Reduce the heat under the broth to low and whisk in the egg mixture. The soup will thicken slightly and become cloudy. Make sure you don’t bring the soup to a rolling boil after you add the eggs. Your eggs will scramble, which will leave you with more of an egg drop soup (which would still be fantastic, but just not the same).
- Chop up the chicken, removing the skin and bones, and add it to the soup along with the dill. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 452 |
| Total Fat | 26 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 19 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Protein | 38 g |
| Cholesterol | 155 mg |
| Sodium | 1470 mg |
Reviews
Amazing soup! And so easy. This is going to be my go to when I need a comforting bowl of soup.
This was delicious. I overcooked a 3 1/2 lb chicken with the suggested cooking time so I tried again with a 4 lb. It’s easy and so comforting. I’m also adding a bit more orzo.
Saw this in the Magazine and had to try it. Since not growing up with this, it was different than our American Chicken Noodle soup. However, I found it refreshing with the lemon. I used Meyer lemons, and yet it was still lemony. Would be an elegant appetizer. My only recommendation would be to add a little more orzo.