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READY IN 25 mins

Avgolemono

Read Reviews (69)

"This is the most popular of Greek soups. The name means 'egg and lemon', the two most important ingredients that produce this light and nourishing soup. Orzo is a Greek rice-shaped pasta, but you can use any small shape. Garnish with fresh lemon slices." — Michelle Chen

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Original recipe makes 4 to 6 servings Change Servings

1 3/4 quarts chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked orzo pasta
3 eggs

1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon cold water
salt and pepper to taste

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Directions

Pour the chicken broth into a large saucepan, and bring it to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes.
Beat the eggs until frothy, then add the lemon juice and 1 tablespoons of cold water. Slowly stir in a ladleful of the hot chicken stock, then add one or two more. Be careful not to scramble the eggs!
Return this mixture to the pan, off the heat, and stir well. Season with salt and pepper and serve at once, garnished with lemon slices. Do not let the soup boil once the eggs have been added or it will curdle!

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PREP 10 mins
COOK 15 mins
READY IN 25 mins

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Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Aug 10, 2007

So yummy, and really versatile! I must admit we tweaked this a bit; the orzo can be substituted for rice or any other type of pasta. And we added a lot of garlic to the bunch. Nonetheless the end result turned out pretty tasty, a nice alternative to chicken or matzo soup when someone in the family gets sick.

—CHELS

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Mar 10, 2009

I live in Greece, so I know how to make this soup. It is a delicious soup when made right. All 3 of my children love it. You must cook a whole, fresh chicken for the stock. DO substitute rice as this is the traditional way. Make sure you remove the soup pot from the flame before you poor the egg/lemon mixture over it. Otherwise, the egg mixture gets clumpy. Also, it is great when you add the chicken meat back into the soup. This is how almost everyone eats it here.

—Aaron_Alise

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81 Ratings

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Mar 16, 2007

this recipe is all wrong - it's so important to boil a whole chicken for at least an hour or so. the flavor is so much better. also, use the juice of 2 lemons for 3 eggs separate the eggs, beat the whites first till stiff, then slowly add the lemon juice, then add the yolks 1 at a time. I prefer rice to orzo and lots of fresh ground pepper.

—nikki

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May 13, 2003

Thank you for providing this wonderful recipe on-line. This brings back treasured memories of my Greek grandmother who always said "katse, katse" for "sit, sit" while she served some of the most wonderful food to her adoring grandchildren. I have all of her recipes for Baklava, Dolmades, and Tsatsiki, but this one I did not have. This was always one of my favorites, and now I will have a chance to share it with my family. I remember her using rice instead of pasta, so I am going to give that a try too...This is a terrific soup.

—SUSANF

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Feb 04, 2006

Good. Even better with a few tablespoons of white rice that are allowed to cook for a while before adding eggs and lemon. I suspect that those people who tried this and did not like it at all were using a low quality canned chicken broth. Use either a chicken broth in a "parmalat" pack or make your own.

—KaryninPhilly

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Jan 07, 2003

Delicious and filling but you can't let it sit out at all. You have to be ready to serve it right away.

—sarahz911

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Sep 13, 2003

This soup is absolutely delicious. I varied the recipe somewhat by frying an onion and a clove of garlic in a little olive oil in the pan before adding the stock. I also added halved kumquats to the stock when preparing (removed before adding the egg-lemon mixture) to add an even more zesty flavour. To top it off, I added a handful of garden peas when the pasta was tender and a generous sprinkling of fresh parsley to finish. Delicious and highly recommended!!

—APHEXTWIN

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Mar 17, 2011

omg...SO delicious

—velouria3

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Nutrition

Calories
150 kcal
7%

Carbohydrates
21.8 g
7%

Cholesterol
159 mg
53%

Fat
4.2 g
6%

Fiber
2.1 g
8%

Protein
8.4 g
17%

Sodium
55 mg
2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Avgolemono

Serving Size: 1/4 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
** Calories: 150
** Calories from Fat: 37

% Daily Value *
** Total Fat 4.2g 6 %
** Saturated Fat 1.3g 6 %
** Cholesterol 159mg 53 %
** Sodium 55mg 2 %
** Potassium 125mg 4 %
** Total Carbohydrates 21.8g 7 %
** Dietary Fiber 2.1g 8 %
** Protein 8.4g 17 %
** Sugars 1.3g
** Vitamin A 4 %
** Vitamin C 35 %
** Calcium 5 %
** Iron 17 %
** Thiamin 4 %
** Niacin 19 %
** Vitamin B6 5 %
** Magnesium 8 %
** Folate 41 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.