Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup, or Avgolemono Soup as it’s known in Greece, is a very traditional Greek dish. You’ll find it on all Greek restaurant menus. It’s eaten all year long, but we especially like it in the colder months. The chicken makes it a heartier soup, which can also make it a light entrée. Our Sheffield’s Greek Isles Seasoning used in the soup adds a great flavor with the herbs and spices we crafted into it. If you eliminate the chicken and use a vegetable broth, it becomes a vegetarian or vegan dish.

Serve as the first course of your Greek dinner, with a Greek Salad, or as part of a Greek small plates meal. For small plates, serve with stuffed grape leaves, some cubes of feta cheese drizzled with olive oil and Mediterranean herbs.

Makes 4 to 6 Servings

Ingredients:
1 ½ Pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (about 2 medium) each cut into 2 pieces
2 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Cup Carrots, Chopped into ¼” to ½” Pieces
1 Large Celery Stalk, Cut into ½” Pieces
2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic
3 Tablespoons Sheffield’s Greek Isles Seasoning
8 Cups Low-sodium Chicken Broth
2 Bay Leaves
1 Cup Uncooked Rice
⅜ Cup of Fresh Lemon Juice (about 1 large lemon)
2 Large Eggs
Fresh Parsley for Garnish

Directions:
In large stock pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Stir to combine then sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, and the Sheffield’s Greek Isles Seasoning. Stir to combine.

Add the chicken breasts, and stir to coat them with the spices. Add the chicken broth and bay leaves. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Once the liquid has come to a boil, add the rice. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is just tender.

Remove the chicken and shred into smaller pieces. Remove the bay leaves. Reduce the heat to low. Remove 1 cup of soup and set aside in a medium mixing bowl to cool off a bit to make the lemon-egg sauce. Return the chicken to the pot.

To make the lemon-egg sauce, beat the eggs in a small bowl. Add the lemon juice to the reserved soup. Whisk to combine. While whisking, slowly add the eggs, combining into a creamy mixture. Add back to the soup and stir in well. The soup should be thick with a creamy texture. Add a bit more broth if too thick. Remove from the heat immediately. Taste and add more lemon juice if a more lemony flavor is desired.

Ladle into individual bowls and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with couple slices of warm Greek bread. Enjoy!