Greek Chicken and Rice Soup

We crave soups this time of year, and chicken and rice soup is always a good idea. This Greek version of chicken and rice soup is thickened with a delicious egg and lemon mixture that gives it the best creamy texture. It’s called Avgolemono.

You can make this soup with either white rice or orzo pasta. We’ve tried it both ways, you can’t go wrong either way.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 cups chicken broth, divided
• 2 chicken breasts , boneless skinless
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 cup long-grain rice, uncooked
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 eggs

How to cook Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup in the Instant Pot:

• In the instant pot set to the saute mode.
• Add the olive oil, onions, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper to the pot. Cook until the onions are translucent.
• Add 7 cups of the chicken broth, chicken, oregano, basil, and rice to the instant pot.
• Seal the instant pot and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
• Do a quick-release. Carefully open the lid and take the chicken out to shred. Add the shredded chicken back into the pot once it’s shredded.
• Whisk together the eggs, lemon, and 1 cup of the chicken broth.
• Add the lemon mixture to the soup and stir together. Serve warm.

The best part of this soup is the creaminess the eggs and lemon mixture add to the color and the flavor.
Serve it up with a big slice of your favorite homemade bread, and dinner is served!

Avgolemono Greek Chicken and Rice Soup:

Serve: Serve it with bread…like Homemade Biscuits
Leftovers: Once cooled, you can store Avgolemono in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freeze it: Freeze Avgolemono for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat on the stovetop before serving.

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Greek Chicken and Rice Soup (Avgolemono)

Chicken and rice soup with an egg-lemon sauce, made with eggs and lemon juice mixed with broth and warmed until it thickens.

Author Kami | NoBiggie.net

Ingredients

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 onion diced
• 2 stalks celery diced
• 2 carrots diced
• 2 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
• 2 eggs
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup long grain rice or orzo pasta
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 cups chicken broth divided
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil

Instructions

1. In a big pot sauté the onions, carrots and celery in the olive oil over medium heat until softened.

2. Add 7 cups of the broth, chicken, oregano, basil, salt n pepper and the rice. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low and continue to cook for 20 minutes until the rice is tender.

3. Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks. Add the shredded chicken back to the soup.

4. Add the one remaining cup of chicken broth to a bowl along with the lemon juice and eggs whisk well until combined.

5. To temper the egg lemon mixture, ladle about 1 cup of the hot broth into the egg lemon mixture, and whisk well to combine.

6. Add the egg lemon mixture back to the simmering soup. Stir just until the soup becomes opaque in color and thickens as the eggs cook, 1 to 2 minutes.

Making This Recipe? Tag us on Instagram: @NoBiggie using the hashtag #NoBiggieRecipes, so we can see what you are making in the kitchen!

Recipe Variations:

Make this soup your own!
-Orzo rather than rice: Try Orzo pasta is the place of white rice.
-Mix up the dried herbs for fresh herbs if you have them.
-Use dark chicken meat like chicken thighs rather than chicken breasts.

Recipe Shortcuts:

I am all about cooking shortcuts for busy week nights. Here are a few shortcuts for this recipe:
Shredded Rotisserie Chicken: keep shredded rotisserie chicken in your freezer to add to this recipe rather than cooking the chicken in the soup. I love to buy two rotisserie chickens and shred both. Use your mixture to help finely shred the chicken.
Cooked leftover white rice: Another way to cut time on this recipe is to use already cooked rice. When cooking rice, cook extra and store in the fridge for a quick add to recipes like this.
Frozen diced onion: Hate chopping up onion because it makes your eyes water? Chop up a bunch at once and store it in the freezer to just use when you need it!

Do you have a favorite greek recipe you love to make at home? I’d love to hear!

More soup recipes we love:

• Chicken and Rice Soup with peas
• Chicken and Wild Rice Soup with Ham
• Creamy Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

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