Greek Lemon Soup with Chicken and Orzo

Meet Greek Lemon Soup with Chicken and Orzo - a truly unique bowl of chicken soup, thanks to the addition of creamy avgolemono sauce! A zesty, rich and Mediterranean soup recipe that is packed with bold Greek flavors, lifting the spirit and warming the belly at the same time.

Chicken soup and stew recipes - can I ever have enough of those on my blog? I don't think so! Chicken soup is just the homiest dish -  sheer comfort that I crave all year round. While this Chicken Corn Chowder and my Chicken Pot Pie Soup are typical cold-weather dishes, today's Greek Lemon Soup with Chicken and Orzo is actually pretty amazing in spring and summer with that bright zesty flavor profile.

Avgolemono - a creamy egg and lemon soup with chicken and orzo.

Avgolemono is the Greek name for that irresistible creamy lemon sauce which makes this dish special and gives the soup its silky rich texture.  Now, don't be intimidated. The name is the most complicated thing about this dish.  Authentic Greek Avgolemono sauce is a silky and fragrant sauce made of really simple ingredients -  tempered eggs, lemon juice, and warm chicken broth. The result is mind-blowing!  Get ready for a truly unique bowl of chicken soup, you guys!

Loaded with bold Greek flavor, cozy, healthy, and with that perfectly cooked orzo pasta swirling to the surface with every spoonful. You will love this easy Greek Chicken soup!  Make it today!

How to make Greek Lemon Soup:

Step 1 - Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until it simmers. Add the carrots, and onion and sauté until fragrant and tender, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic at the last minute. Add the broth and bring it to a simmer. Add the orzo and cook for a few minutes until softened. Stir in the shredded chicken and remove it from heat. Let cool for a few minutes while you get the next step ready.

Step 2 - Whisk the eggs and lemon juice together in a small bowl.

Step 3 - Pay attention to this step! We’re going to warm up the egg mixture slowly (it’s called tempering) so that the eggs don’t scramble. Your soup needs to be warm and not too hot (if you stick your thumb into the soup, and you have to pull it right back out again, it’s too hot for tempering the eggs).

Step 4 - Slowly add a ladle of warm soup into the egg mixture and whisk vigorously. Then add your warmed egg mixture back to the soup pot – slowly, slowly, slowly, stirring constantly, until smooth and creamy.

Step 5 - Stir in the spinach or arugula, season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with fresh dill. Serve with lemon slices, if desired.

Can I use rice instead of orzo?

Traditionally this Greek Lemon soup uses orzo, which is a kind of pasta. If you cannot find it any rice works fine. The point is that you don't add too much or your will end up with a gloppy mess. It should still be soupy when done. I would actually recommend adding cooked rice in the end if you have any. That might work better than cooking the rice in the pasta.

Tips:

• This soup is best served straight away. Once the tempered eggs have been added to the soup, it’s difficult to reheat later, as you still have to worry about cooking the eggs. Also, the Orzo will continue to absorb liquid the longer they’re in the soup, so you’ll find after a while that there just isn’t much broth left.
• The spinach and arugula are optional add-ins. You could also add some frozen peas! Delicious!
• To make this meatless, add some silken tofu in the end.
• If you don't have fresh dill, use ¼ tsp dried dill

5 from 4 votes

Print

Greek Lemon Soup

Meet Greek Lemon Soup with Chicken and Orzo - a truly unique bowl of chicken soup, thanks to the addition of creamy avgolemono sauce! A zesty, rich and creamy chicken soup recipe that is packed with bold Greek flavors, lifting the spirit and warming the belly at the same time.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean

Keyword Greek Lemon soup recipe, lemon chicken soup

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4 - 6

Calories 466 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 carrots peeled and diced
• half an onion diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 9 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup orzo pasta
• 3 cups cooked chicken I use shredded rotisserie chicken
• 4 eggs
• juice of 4 lemons
• a handful of fresh arugula or spinach
• 1½ tsp salt
• lots of freshly ground pepper
• fresh dill

Instructions

1. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the carrots, and onion and sauté until fragrant and tender, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic during the last minute.
2. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the orzo and cook for a few minutes until softened. Stir in the shredded chicken and remove from heat. Let cool for a few minutes while you get the next step ready.
3. Whisk the eggs and lemon juice together in a small bowl.
4. Pay attention to this step! We’re going to warm up the egg mixture slowly (it’s called tempering) so that the eggs don’t scramble. Your soup needs to be warm and not too hot (if you stick your thumb into the soup, and you have to pull it right back out again, it’s too hot for tempering the eggs). Slowly add a ladle of warm soup into the egg mixture and whisk vigorously. Then add your warmed egg mixture back to the soup pot – slowly, slowly, slowly, stirring constantly, until smooth and creamy.
5. Stir in the spinach or arugula, season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with fresh dill. Serve with lemon slices, if desired.

Recipe Notes

• This soup is best served straight away. Once the tempered eggs have been added to the soup, it’s difficult to reheat later, as you still have to worry about cooking the eggs. Also, the Orzo will continue to absorb liquid the longer they’re in the soup, so you’ll find after a while that there just isn’t much broth left.
• The spinach and arugula are optional add-ins. You could also add some frozen peas! Delicious!
• To make this meatless, add some silken tofu in the end. 
  If you don't have fresh dill, use ¼ tsp dried dill 

Nutrition Facts

Greek Lemon Soup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 466 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 242mg81%

Sodium 2979mg130%

Potassium 1012mg29%

Carbohydrates 38g13%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 40g80%

Vitamin A 6092IU122%

Vitamin C 52mg63%

Calcium 106mg11%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you tried this Greek Lemon Chicken Soup recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!

More healthy soup and stew recipes from the blog:

• Vegan Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Soup
• Creamy Mushroom and Rice Soup
• Healthy Turkey Taco Soup
• Beef and Sweet Potato Chili