Greek Lemon and Chicken Soup (Avgolemono)
Ingreadient
-
2 tablespoons olive oil
-
½ medium carrot, diced
-
½ medium red onion, diced
-
½ stalk celery, diced
-
1 clove garlic, minced
-
2 (32 ounce) cartons chicken broth
-
1 teaspoon dried parsley
-
½ teaspoon dried oregano
-
1 ½ cups shredded cooked chicken
-
1 cup orzo pasta
-
4 large eggs, at room temperature
-
2 medium lemons, zested and juiced, divided
-
½ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder, or more to taste
-
3 dashes hot pepper sauce
-
salt and ground black pepper to taste
Direction
-
Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add carrot, onion, and celery. Cook, stirring continuously, until vegetables start to soften and turn translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
-
Add chicken broth, parsley, and oregano. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Add chicken and orzo. Reduce heat to a simmer.
-
Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a heat-safe bowl or glass measuring cup. Add the lemon juice and whisk until well combined.
-
Slowly add a ladle of hot broth to the egg mixture, whisking quickly to avoid scrambling the eggs. Repeat with a few more ladles until the egg mixture is hot and steaming. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and whisk until incorporated.
-
Add 1/2 of the lemon zest to the soup; reserve remaining zest for another use. Taste soup; if too lemony, add chicken bouillon. Add hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. Cook until orzo is tender yet firm to the bite, about 5 more minutes. Serve immediately.
