081Chicken avgolemono soup

Method

Classic home version. Serve with crusty bread and extra lemon wedges.

You will need

• large stockpot
• fine-mesh sieve
• wire whisk
• soup ladle

1. Place the whole chicken, water, halved onion, carrots, celery, bay leaf and half the salt into a large stockpot over medium-high heat. 10 min Ready when: water comes to a boil
2. Skim off any grey froth that rises to the surface with a slotted spoon, then reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer gently until the meat is completely tender. 50 min Ready when: chicken leg pulls away easily from the bone
3. Carefully lift the chicken and vegetables out of the pot onto a large platter, season the chicken with a little salt, and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. 5 min Ready when: broth is clear of large pieces
4. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan to yield roughly 1.5 litres of clear liquid, bring it back to a gentle boil, and stir in the rinsed rice and remaining salt. 15 min Ready when: rice grains are soft and tender to the bite
5. Remove the pot from the heat completely and allow it to settle for 2 to 3 minutes so it stops bubbling. 3 min Ready when: steam subsides slightly and broth is off the boil
6. In a heatproof bowl, whisk the eggs vigorously with a wire whisk until frothy, then slowly stream in the lemon juice while continuing to whisk. 2 min Ready when: egg mixture becomes pale and uniform
7. Very gradually ladle about 250 ml of the hot broth into the egg-lemon mixture in a slow, steady trickle, whisking continuously to temper the eggs without scrambling them. 2 min Ready when: mixture is warm to the touch and emulsified
8. Pour the warm egg-lemon mixture back into the soup pot in a steady stream, shaking and swirling the pot vigorously in a circular motion until the soup turns velvety and pale yellow. 2 min Ready when: soup thickens slightly and turns opaque and creamy
9. Ladle the hot soup into deep bowls, dust generously with freshly ground black pepper, and serve immediately alongside the warm chicken, either shredded into the soup or carved on the side. 1 min Ready when: piping hot and aromatic

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Make ahead and storing

The stock can be simmered and the chicken poached up to 24 hours ahead; reheat the stock and cook the rice just before preparing the avgolemono.

Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days; reheat very gently over lowest heat without boiling, otherwise the egg will curdle.

Substitutions

• orzo (kritharaki) for medium-grain rice (glace or Carolina). Use 100 g of orzo instead of rice for a very popular family variation.

Common mistakes

• Adding the egg-lemon mixture while the soup is still boiling on the heat.. Boiling temperatures immediately curdle the egg proteins, producing scrambled egg flakes instead of a smooth emulsion.
• Adding hot broth to the beaten eggs too quickly.. Dumping hot liquid abruptly into eggs cooks them instantly; it must be introduced in a slow trickle while whisking.

Regional variants

• In some regions, soup vegetables (boiled carrot and celery) are puréed and stirred back into the broth before adding the rice.

About the dish

Chicken avgolemono is Greece's quintessential restorative winter soup, prepared widely for family Sunday lunches and as a remedy for colds. The technique of finishing warm broths with an egg-and-citrus liaison is said to have roots in Sephardic Jewish cuisine (agristada) and medieval Mediterranean court cookery, later becoming universally embedded in Greek domestic tradition. It relies on a rich, home-made whole-chicken stock, gently simmered Carolina or glaze rice, and the delicate tempering of raw eggs with fresh lemon juice.

Found in all of Greece. Cooked for everyday, sunday lunch, winter.

Cousins elsewhere

• Shorbat djej (Levantine). A simple chicken, rice and lemon broth common across the eastern Mediterranean, though typically without the beaten egg emulsification.
• Stracciatella alla romana (Italian). A clear poultry broth thickened with beaten eggs, although the Italian dish shreds the cooked egg rather than emulsifying it silky-smooth with citrus.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

659 kcal · protein 50.8 g · fat 39.9 g (saturated 11.4 g) · carbohydrate 21.3 g (sugars 2.4 g) · fibre 1.6 g · sodium 1209 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. Traditional mainland home-cook style, where the poached chicken is served separately alongside the soup..