Avgolemono soup is a Greek lemon, chicken and rice soup that is comfort food at its finest. It’s simple and soothing in the way that only chicken soups can be but it also has a little touch of magic that makes it exceptional.
This classic Greek soup consists of chicken and rice, both boiled in hearty, nutritious chicken stock which then has a deliciously tangy, velvety egg-lemon sauce added to it.

It’s rich and creamy – without a hint of cream in it. There’s not even milk! It’s wonderfully velvety but there is no flour or cornstarch in it. It’s hearty and wholesome while being surprisingly light and easy to digest. And it’s a solid comfort food that will nourish you through the winter while its tangy notes of lemon add a little summer to the dish.
Best of all, it’s pretty darn easy to make. You won’t even need much – you most likely have all the ingredient already.
What is Avgolemono?
Avgolemono (αυγολέμονο) translates to:
- Avgo (αυγο) = egg
- Lémono (λέμονο) = lemon
And it’s not just the name of this delicious lemon, chicken and rice soup – it actually refers to a whole category of sauces and soups that are made using the brilliant combination of eggs and lemon juice as the thickening ingredient.

But because the lemon, chicken and rice soup that we’re making today is the most popular dish in this category, that’s what it goes by. Despite the fact that it’s real, full name is kotósoupa avgolémono (egg lemon chicken soup).
Yes, that’s right, this soup is so good, it’s managed to represent a whole family of foods.
And for such a simple soup – egg, lemon, chicken, and rice – it is a delicious combination that is nourishing, comforting, tangy, and light all at the same time. It’s not surprising why it’s so popular.
Avgolemono Soup Ingredients
Avgolemono soup consists of just a few ingredients. Which is why once you’ve made it, you’ll probably be cooking it again and again and again. Here’s what you’ll need…
Chicken & Chicken Broth
Traditionally, avgolemono soup is made using a whole chicken and simmering it to get chicken broth (and a whole lot of chicken meat as well).
But this is the quick-and-easy version. So I’m using already-made homemade chicken broth and two chicken breasts. You can do the same with either homemade or store-bought chicken broth and either chicken breast or thighs.
We’ll be adding a bay leaf or two to further flavor the broth while it cooks the chicken.
Rice
For avgolemono soup, you’ll want to use a short-grain rice. In Greece, glacé rice is used, which is actually a sticky medium-grain rice but works great in avgolemono soup. Other similar rice varieties you can use include:
- Arborio rice (the Italian rice used for risotto)
- Carnaroli rice
- Bomba rice (the Spanish rice used for paella)
- Valencia rice
- Sushi rice (or most Korean or Japanese rice)
You can also substitute orzo or little pastas (aka pastina) if you don’t want to use rice. Some say it’s good with cauliflower rice as well but I’ve never tried it. I think the starchiness of the rice or pasta contributes to that creamy heartiness of avgolemono soup so it’s a must for me.
Eggs
Eggs are what gives this soup that dreamy, creamy substance. Some recipes call for separating the white from the yolk and beating it into a foam before folding it into the soup.
I prefer the easier, more common method of using the whole eggs. It’s best that the eggs are at room temperature.
Lemon juice
Of course you can’t have avgolemono soup without that crucial tang of lemon juice.
But the lemon isn’t just there for the flavor – it’s actually an important thickening agent. Just adding the couple spoons of lemon juice to the eggs help give the egg more structure. The result? That velvety creaminess of avgolemono soup without even a pinch of flour or cornstarch.
Use fresh lemon juice whenever you can.
Vegetables
Veggies are optional but this soup plays so nicely with them that it’d be a shame to leave them out. Carrots are perfect. So is celery. Even potato, cauliflower, broccoli, and zucchini are good.
If you want to skip it altogether, that’s okay, too.
I do recommend at least some herbs to brighten up the soup, though – i.e. parsley and/or cilantro.
Tips for Success
Pre-soak the rice. Soaking the rice before cooking means the grains get to absorb water. This does a couple things. The rice cooks faster. It cooks more evenly. And it absorbs less of the chicken broth as it cooks and swells. That’s a good thing because rice has the ability to soak up a lot of liquid and we want this avgolemono to have plenty of soupy goodness. You’ll know the rice is well-soaked when you can break a grain easily – this should take around 20 to 30 minutes.
Keep the eggs at room temperature. When the hot broth hits the eggs, the last thing we want is for them to curdle. Whipping them will warm them up but it’s even better if you give the eggs a chance to get to room temperature beforehand.
Do the broth separately. Because rice soaks up so much liquid and it’s a bit of a bother to try to ladle pure broth from the pot – we’re just going to set some chicken broth aside from the get go.
So not all of the chicken broth will be used for cooking. This recipe calls for 6 cups of chicken broth but we’ll only be using 5 cups to cook the chicken and the rice with. The other cup is set aside for the avgolemono sauce.
If you plan on having leftovers, I also recommend having a couple extra cups of chicken broth to use for reheating.
Hot broth, slowly added. The key to a perfect avgolemono soup lies in tempering the eggs. That means very gently cooking the proteins in the eggs while simultaneously preventing them from cooking completely and forming clumps.
To do this, you want to slowly add hot broth, little by little to the egg-lemon mixture, while whisking continuously and vigorously to get that lovely velvety smoothness. The goal is to gently cook the eggs and slowly but surely get them to the same temperature as the soup.
How to Make Avgolemono
Avgolemono soup is as easy to make as it is delicious. The only part that is close to persnickety is making the avgolemono sauce. But as long as you remember this part: hot broth slowly whisked in – you’ll be alright.
Okay, let’s get to making some delicious avgolemono!
Soak the Rice
Let’s start by soaking the rice as this will take the longest. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and then place it in a bowl covered with water. Let is soak for around 20 to 30 minutes until you can break a grain easily by pressing on it.


While it soaks, let’s cook the chicken…
Cook the Chicken
Pour 5 cups of chicken broth into a big pot, add a bay leaf, carrots, and the chicken breasts. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes.


Remove the chicken, set on a plate to cool.
Cook the Rice
Drain the rice and add it to the simmering chicken broth. It should take about 10 to 15 minutes to cook.

While the rice cooks, we’re going to do two things:
- Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces
- Make avgolemono sauce
By the time the rice finishes cooking, there won’t be much broth left. These little grains of rice are very thirsty. Even after being soaked, they will greedily soak up as much liquid as they can.
Which is why we saved a cup of chicken broth. Get that ready.
Make Avgolemono Sauce
If the chicken stock you put aside has cooled down, go ahead and stick it in the microwave until it’s hot. We don’t want it boiling, scalding hot – but it should be hotter than, say, bath water. A good temperature is between 70°C to 80°C (160°F to 175°F).
Alright, let’s make some avgolemono.

Start by whisking together the eggs.

Add in the lemon juice and continue whisking.

Slowly pour in the cup of hot chicken broth, a little at a time. Whisk continuously.

Pour the avgolemono mixture into the rice soup pot and turn the heat off. Give it all a good stir.
And there you have it – your avgolemono soup!
Assemble and Serve
Now it’s time to add the chicken, some garnish and you’re ready to eat.

You can either add the chicken to the soup now and stir it all in or you can leave the chicken on the plate so everyone can add what they want. It’s up to you.
Add salt to taste, freshly ground black pepper, a few extra squeezes of lemon if you want. Herbs like parsley, dill, chives, and even cilantro are delicious garnishes to brighten things up.

Serve with warm, crusty bread.
What to Do with Leftovers?
Once the avgolemono soup has cooled to room temperature, you can store it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
You can also freeze the avgolemono soup in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 months.
How to Reheat Avgolemono Soup?
My favorite way to reheat refrigerated avogolemono soup is to heat chicken broth separately in the microwave or stovetop until it is at boiling point. Then slowly mix it into the cold avgolemono soup.
This is why I always recommend keeping some chicken broth leftover – you’ll want it when it comes time to heat up leftover avogolemono soup.
If you’re reheating from frozen, place it in the fridge the day before so it can thaw overnight. Reheat it in a similar fashion – heat chicken broth or water on the stovetop until it’s about boiling and then add the avgolemono soup. Stir it all together, leave it on for a minute and then turn the heat off.

Avgolemono Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup short-grain rice
- 6 cups chicken broth 5 to cook with, 1 for the avogolemono sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 carrots
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup lemon
Instructions
Pre-Soak the Rice
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and then place it in a bowl covered with water.
- Soak for around 20 to 30 minutes until you can break a grain easily by pressing on it.While it soaks, let’s cook the chicken…
Cook the Chicken
- Pour 5 cups of chicken broth into a big pot, add a bay leaf, carrots, and the chicken breasts.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the chicken, set on a plate to cool.
Cook the Rice
- Drain the rice and add it to the simmering chicken broth. It should take about 10 to 15 minutes to cook.
- While the rice cooks, we’re going to do two things:1. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces2. Make avgolemono sauce
Make Avgolemono Sauce
- Heat up the cup of chicken broth you put aside in the microwave or stovetop. We don’t want it boiling, scalding hot – but it should be hotter than, say, bath water. A good temperature is between 70°C to 80°C (160°F to 175°F).
- Whisk together the eggs in a big bowl.
- Add in the lemon juice and continue whisking.
- Slowly pour in the cup of hot chicken broth, a little at a time. Whisk continuously.
- Pour the avgolemono mixture into the rice soup pot and turn the heat off. Give it all a good stir.
Assemble and Serve
- Either add the shredded chicken pieces into the soup and give it a good stir OR leave the chicken on the plate so everyone can add what they want.
- Add salt to taste, freshly ground black pepper, a few extra squeezes of lemon if you want. Herbs like parsley, dill, chives, and even cilantro are delicious garnishes to brighten things up.
- Serve and enjoy!