Avgolemono – Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

This is the authentic recipe for Greek lemon chicken soup, a trademark dish that has nourished generations. The secret ingredient for this heartwarming soup is the egg-lemon sauce, often added in Greek recipes and especially soups, and acts as a thickening agent, giving the soup a unique creamy texture and tangy lemony flavour.

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken
• 1 red onion, peeled
• 5 cups of water
• 150-200g short-grain rice, like Arborio
• 2 large eggs
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 carrots (optional)
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

Place the chicken in a deep pot then add the onion and carrot. Pour in enough water to cover the chicken and season.

Place on high heat, put the lid on and bring to the boil; turn the heat down and boil the chicken for about 1 hour and 15 minutes (the chicken is ready when the meat can be removed easily from the bones). While the chicken boils, some white foam will probably surface on the water. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Remove the chicken from the broth then strain the broth into a pan. Add the rice and season with salt and pepper and boil until the rice is tender.

In the meantime, if the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Dice the meat into bite size pieces.

To prepare the egg lemon sauce, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk, until foamy; add the lemon juice and whisk again. Add into the bowl a ladle of hot soup and whisk quickly. Add one more ladle and whisk again, so the eggs get warm. Pour the egg mixture back into the pot, whilst constantly stirring, put the lid on and leave for 3-4 minutes.

Serve the soup while still warm, topped with the diced chicken and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper or paprika. Enjoy!

Tips:

1. The eggs should be at room temperature so they are not shocked and curdle from the hot broth
2. The soup should be warm but not boiling hot. When you are done cooking your soup, remove the pan from the stove and let it cool for 5-10 minutes or add 1/2 a cup of cold water to halt the boiling process
3. You need to add enough broth so the egg mixture is at the same temperature as the broth of dish you are preparing
4. The egg whites are more likely to curdle, as they tend to thicken up more quickly than the egg yolks when warmed, so be sure to whisk vigorously and add the broth slowly.