Greek Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo (Egglemon) is a traditional Greek soup that combines the tangy flavors of lemon juice and eggs with the hearty taste of orzo pasta. This comforting dish can be made with either chicken or vegetable stock, depending on your preference, and is often garnished with fresh herbs for extra flavor.
Perfect for cold nights when you need something hearty and filling, this classic Greek recipe is sure to become a household favorite!
What is Greek lemon chicken soup with orzo (Avgolemono)?
Greek Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo is a classic Greek soup made with a mixture of lemon juice and eggs (Avgolemono), providing a tangy and velvety texture. Orzo (manestra), a rice-shaped dumpling, is often added to the soup to give it a richer texture.
The soup is usually made with chicken stock or stock, although it can also be made with vegetable stock for a vegetarian option. Fresh herbs such as dill or parsley are often added as a garnish to enhance the flavor of this comforting and delicious soup.
- Rich comfort food: This Greek soup is perfect when you want something hearty and warm
- Make in larger batches: It’s also easier to make in larger quantities if you’re feeding more people
Greek Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo Basic Ingredients
Chicken: You’ll want 6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs for this recipe. To these, you will add red onions and carrots.
Orzo: The recipe uses about 120 grams of orzo pasta for six servings.
Egg Mix (Egglemon): You need 2 large eggs, juice of one lemon and some coarsely chopped dill for the sauce.
Key Friday Tips for Greek Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo
There are three main steps involved in this recipe:
- Prepare the chicken
- Cook the orzo
- Make the egg mixture and serve
Prepare it chicken
Place the chicken legs in a large pot with halved and peeled red onion and finely chopped, peeled carrots to cook the chicken. Don’t forget to season well with salt and pepper and add enough water to cover the chicken completely. Add more water if necessary.
First, heat the mixture until it boils. Then turn the heat down to low and simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes.
Cook it orzo
Remove the chicken legs from the pan and set them aside. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper to the soup if needed.
After adding the orzo, increase the heat to medium and cook for another 15 minutes with the lid on until the pasta is tender.
After the chicken has cooled, remove the skins and cut the meat from the bones. Be sure to return the bones to the pot as soon as possible.
After the orzo has softened, remove the chicken bones and red onion from the pot. Use a sieve to strain out any bits of carrot or orzo and transfer 3-4 ladlefuls of hot soup to a jug.
Make the egg-lemon sauce and serve
Beat the eggs with the lemon juice until frothy. While whisking constantly, slowly add the hot soup to the egg mixture until light, creamy and loose. Then whisk the mixture back into the soup pot.
After chopping the chicken, add it back to the soup. If needed, add a little extra water and check the seasoning again. Once the chicken is heated, take the pot off the heat and stir in the diced dill before serving.
What is mitigation? Why is it important in this recipe?
Tempering is a technique used to slowly raise the temperature of a cold or room-temperature liquid mixture, such as eggs or dairy, by adding a small amount of hot liquid to it while stirring continuously. Gradually increasing the temperature of the mixture prevents the eggs from curdling or scrambling when added to hot liquid.
In the case of Orzo Scrambled Eggs, pulsing is important because it ensures that the egg and lemon juice mixture does not separate or curdle when added to the hot chicken broth.
This technique allows the soup to maintain a smooth and velvety consistency, giving it that signature creamy texture. Without the pulse, the soup would lack the desired richness and could potentially have an unpleasant texture.
What pasta can you use in place of orzo?
If you don’t have orzo available, you can easily substitute other small pasta shapes to make your Egglemon soup. Here are some possible pasta options:
- Arborio Rice: You can use arborio rice, commonly used to make risotto, as a substitute for orzo in Egg Lemon Soup. The grains of rice help give the soup a rich and creamy texture.
- Acini di Pepe: Acini di Pepe are small, round pasta that work well as a substitute for orzo. They are perfect for soups because they cook quickly and absorb the flavors of the broth well.
- Ditalini: Ditalini pasta is a small tube-shaped pasta that is about the same size as orzo. They have a hollow center, which captures the broth and creates a hearty texture.
Variations
There are many variations that can be made to this recipe to suit your taste. Here are some ideas:
- Add vegetables: To make the soup more filling, you can add vegetables such as carrots, celery, peas or spinach to the broth.
- Use a different protein: Instead of chicken, you can use other types of protein.
- Add spices: To give the soup a different taste, you can add spices like cumin, paprika or coriander.
- Make it vegetarian: You can replace the vegetable stock with chicken stock and omit the chicken to make a vegetarian version of the soup.
These are just a few ideas, but feel free to get creative and create your own variations based on the ingredients you have on hand and your preferred flavors.
Serving suggestions
Greek Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo pairs well with a variety of side dishes that complement its rich, tangy flavor. Garlic bread is a perfect side dish. Serve warm, the crispy garlic bread is perfect for dipping into the soup.
The easiest way to serve the soup is with fresh, fresh country bread, sourdough bread, bread machine sourdough bread or my easy and crispy bread made with self-rising flour.
A classic Greek salad with feta, olives, cucumber and tomato is another great side dish that complements the flavors of the soup.
Do you love soups?
If you love a hearty soup as much as I do, then these recipes below are perfect for a cold winter’s day!
Description
Greek lemon chicken soup with orzo (Avgolemono) is a traditional Greek soup that combines the spicy flavors of lemon and eggs with the hearty taste of orzo pasta. Perfect for cold nights when you need something hearty and filling, this classic Greek recipe is sure to become a household favorite!
- 6 skin on the bone in chicken thighs
- 1 large red onion
- 2 carrots
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 5 cups water (1.2 L)
- 120 gr orzo (4 oz)
- 2 large eggs
- juice 1 lemon
- small handful of fresh dill, coarsely chopped
- In a large pot, put the chicken legs with the red onion cleaned and cut in half and the carrots cleaned and chopped. Season well with salt and pepper and add the water, adding more if needed to make sure the chicken pieces are completely covered. Bring to a boil before turning down the heat. Let it simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes.
- Remove the chicken legs from the pan and set them aside. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper to the soup if needed. Add the orzo and increase the heat to medium. Cook with the lid on for another 15 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
- Meanwhile, once the chicken is cool enough to touch, discard the skins and cut the meat off the bones, returning the bones to the pot as quickly as you can.
- Once the orzo is tender, remove the chicken bones and red onion and ladle 3-4 ladlefuls of hot soup from the pot into a jug, using a sieve to leave behind any bits of carrot or orzo.
- Beat the eggs until frothy and then add the lemon juice. Stirring constantly, slowly pour the hot soup into the egg mixture until it is loose, light and creamy. Then slowly whisk it into the soup pot.
- Return the shredded chicken to the soup. Add a little more water if needed and check the seasoning again. Once the chicken is heated, remove from the heat and stir through the chopped dill before serving.
Keywords: Greek lemon chicken soup with orzo, Egglemon with orzo
