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Greece: Avgolemono
Greek Egg & Lemon Soup with Chicken
Legend has it that in Greek kitchens, cooks make a kissing sound when adding the egg-lemon mixture to the broth, a superstition thought to keep the egg from curdling.
Cuisine:
Ingredients
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6 cups chicken brothhomemade is key here!
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3 eggs
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1 cup white long grain riceuncooked; traditionally Orzo, but I had rice and it was great
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1/2 cup lemon juicefrom 2 fresh lemons
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2 breasts boneless skinless chickencooked and shredded
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to taste salt and pepper
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1 bunch fresh dill
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of 1 lemon lemon zest
Directions
The name of this classic soup comes from its two main ingredients: egg (avgo) and lemon juice (lemoni). It’s common across Mediterranean countries, thought to have been brought to Greece by the Sephardic Jews. Legend has it that in Greek kitchens, cooks make a kissing sound when adding the egg-lemon mixture to the broth, a superstition thought to keep the egg from curdling. In addition the the kissing noise, you also need to make sure you’ve turned the heat very low, pour the mixture in slowly and beat consistently.
The funny thing is that this wasn’t the dish I’d planned to make for Greece – I’d been planning to make Moussaka. I actually stumbled on this recipe while trying to find a starter to serve with the yet-to-be-made dish I have planned for the Philippines. But when I discovered Avgolemono, I knew I wanted to make it as a main dish! This was a very satisfying main course with pita and a Greek-style salad, but you could also leave out the chicken and serve this as a starter. This is a creamy soup, but you won’t find any dairy in the ingredients – the silky texture is from the tempered eggs. There are many variations of this recipe across the web, but they’re all very similar and beautifully simple, with limited steps and a handful of ingredients. I took my favorite components from each variation and combined into the recipe you’ll find below. While this was lovely on a winter night, it would also be a refreshing summer soup!
Recipe Source: inspired by many versions available in cookbooks and on the web.
Steps
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1
Done
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Bring broth to a simmer in a dutch oven or large pot; add chicken and reduce heat. Simmer gently until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a bowl and let cool until ready to handle. |
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2
Done
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With broth at a simmer, add rice and cook until al dente (just nearly cooked). Once the chicken is cool, shred it into bite size pieces. Once the rice is cooked, return the chicken to the pot; stir in the dill and the salt and pepper, to taste. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. |
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3
Done
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In a separate bowl, whisk together egg and lemon juice in a small bowl. Whisk the egg mixture into the broth, careful at this point it's not boiling - you want to temper the eggs, not scramble them! |
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4
Done
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Ladle the soup into four bowls and top each with lemon zest and chopped dill. |
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