Avgolemono Soup (Egg & Lemon Soup)

Avgolemono. The first soup I ever fell in love with. I’m not sure if it was the richness of the egg, or the tang from the lemon, or the fact that everyone around me encouraged me to dunk crusty bread in it – but I knew right then and there it would be a dish I’d never forget.

I was really young the first time I tried it so I can’t remember exactly where I was (it may have been a family member’s wedding or maybe just a Greek diner), but it was so good that I ate every last drop. To this day, I try my best to order it if it’s on the menu, and this time of the year, I crave it often. It’s such a delicious classic Greek dish.

A few years ago, my Yiayia gave me a cookbook full of recipes from her hometown, and of course, avgolemono soup is in it. I had never made it before this weekend and after my experience, I’m kicking myself for taking so long!

The great thing about this soup is that it contains ingredients that you likely have in your pantry and fridge, and takes about 15 minutes to make. I couldn’t believe how easy it was! It’s traditionally made with white rice, but I love orzo in soups, so I added orzo to mine. It’s also great with rotisserie chicken, or cooked chicken breast – I didn’t add chicken to mine because I wanted to stick to most of the traditional ingredients, but if you’re feeling chicken, add it in!

I based my recipe on the recipe from my Yiayia’s cookbook and the recipe from The Perfect Egg. The combo of the two ended up making a creamy, zesty and very filling soup. The best part of making it was that it allowed me to bask in my heritage and remember my Yiayia and all of the times we used to bond over food. I’m so grateful she gave me her cookbook to hold on to.

If you end up making this soup, don’t forget to tag your photos with #marinamakeseats!

Avgolemono Soup (Egg & Lemon Soup)

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups of chicken stock
• 1/4 cup of dried orzo
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• Zest and juice of one lemon
• 1 tablespoon of cold water
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of pepper

In a large pot, bring stock to a boil, add the orzo and cook for 6-7 minutes (it will continue cooking as you simmer the soup).

While the stock and orzo and cooking, blend the egg yolks and egg with an electric mixer for about five minutes. Gradually add the lemon zest and juice, cold water and one cup of hot broth from the soup until well blended.

Return the mixture to the pot (after the orzo has been cooking for at least 6-7 minutes), bringing the soup to a boil. Add salt and pepper and let it simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the soup thickens. Add more salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve the soup in bowls and top with cracked pepper. Serve with crusty bread.