Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

By garciamoss

Greek lemon chicken soup, also known as Avgolemono soup, is bright and warming. With the addition of a green salad, it makes a delicious satisfying dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 small chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds) cut into 8 parts
• 1 carrot, chunked
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 stalks celery, sliced into thirds
• 1/2 bunch parsley, washed
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 12 cups cold water
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 1/2 or 2 lemons)
• 3 1/2 cups cooked rice
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Note: If using store bought chicken broth, you will need 8 cups of broth for this recipe.

Details

Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 70mins
Adapted from panningtheglobe.com

Preparation

Step 1

Put the chicken, carrot, onion, celery, parsley, and salt in a large Dutch oven or stock pot. Add 12 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Lower to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered. After 10 minutes, skim the white solids that rise to the top. (this will ensure a clearer broth) Simmer gently for an hour more. Remove the chicken from the pot. Take the meat off the bones. Shred or cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Pour the soup and vegetables through a strainer, reserving the broth. (The cooked vegetables will not be needed for this recipe). Using a large spoon, skim the fat that pools on top of the broth. If you have time to make a broth a day early, a night in the fridge makes it easy to remove the fat. The fat becomes a thin hard layer, sitting on top. Return broth to the pot and heat to a simmer. Remove from heat.
Whisk the eggs and lemon juice in a small bowl until fully mixed. While whisking, slowly pour one cup of hot broth into the egg-lemon mixture. Then pour egg-lemon-soup mixture into the heated pot of broth while whisking to combine. Reheat gently but don’t allow the soup to boil or the eggs will curdle.
Scoop ½ to ¾ cup of hot rice into the bottom of each soup bowl. Add some shredded chicken. Pour in 1 to 1½ cups of broth. Season, to taste, with salt and fresh ground pepper. Garnish with a lemon slice and some parsley, if you like. Enjoy!