There is nothing quite more comforting than a cozy, warm bowl of chicken soup on a chilly day or if you are feeling under the weather. This Greek Chicken Avgolemono Soup is what my grandmother always made me when I was growing up- it was the first way I ever knew how to make chicken soup. What makes this soup different from any ordinary chicken soup is the tempered eggs and the tanginess of the lemon, which also gives this soup a freshness no matter what time of year.

This recipe can be made two ways. My favorite way is to make it from scratch- the way my grandmother showed me how to do it, but that is not always the best option as times have changed, with a family of five, sometimes quick and easy is the way to go.

Ingredients

10 cups of water.

2 Split chicken breast on bone w/ skin.

2 Tablespoons olive oil.

½ cup carrot finely chopped.

½ cup celery finely chopped.

 ½ cup white rice or sub orzo.

2 large eggs beaten.

Juice of two lemons.

Salt & Pepper to taste.

Tips:

Quicker method to cut time to 30 minutes: Instead of making the broth from scratch, sub 10 cups of low sodium chicken broth and two cups of store-bought rotisserie chicken, with breast shredded, then skip to step 2.

Method:
 
1) On the stovetop in a large pot, add the 10 cups of water along with the split chicken breast and bring to a boil. Slightly reduce heat, tightly cover and boil the chicken for 25-30 minutes until cooked through. Move the cooked chicken to a plate and let cool, reserving the broth to the side.

2) In a separate large pot on the stovetop, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the chopped carrot and celery and cook until the veggies begin to tender. Add the reserved chicken broth back into the pot with the carrots and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Turn up the heat and bring the broth to a boil then add the rice. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer until the rice is tender.

3) While waiting for the rice to cook, separate the chicken from the breasts that have cooled and be sure to carefully remove all the skin and bones, then set aside. One large breast should yield approx. 2 cups and be enough chicken for the soup, so you can save the other cooked chicken breast for another use. Once the rice is cooked, stir in the chicken and continue to simmer to heat through while making the lemon-egg mixture.

4) In a medium bowl, whisk together the two eggs and the lemon juice. Very slowly whisk in two or three ladles of the hot broth into the lemon-egg mixture to temper the eggs so they do not turn into scrambled eggs. Once the lemon egg mixture is fully blended, stir the hot soup in and then immediately remove from the heat. Pour soup into individual bowls and garnish with fresh chopped dill, parsley and cracked black pepper. Serve with your favorite crusty bread!

Servings:  6

Cook time 30 – 60 minutes