Avgolemono Soup: Creamy Chicken and Rice

Avgolemono Soup,  Say What? Exactly. But this soup by a funny name has a fantastic taste. I have been cooking  my way through this new Cooking Light magazine I got the other day and I am 3 for 3 on recipes that my family has loved, and this delicious greek chicken soup recipe was no exception.

The magazine states that Avgolemono Soup is an “amazingly creamy soup without a drop of cream” and I agree.

 Avgolemono is a creamy chicken and rice soup with a slight taste of lemon and basil, making it a perfect soup for the fall or any time you need a full belly.

(this recipe is updated from 2012)

AVGOLEMONO Soup Recipe

 

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 6 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 large egg slightly beaten
• 2 cups cooked chicken (shredded)
• 2 tbls torn fresh basil

Instructions for the soup:

Heat dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add oil and swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic and saute.

Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.

 

Add in rice, reduce heat, and simmer for about 16 minutes. Stir in juice, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and egg in a small bowl (whisk works great) and slowly pour the egg mixture into broth and stir constantly so the egg doesn’t curdle.

Add chicken and cook until the soup thickens and the rice is done.

Top w/ Parsley and Basil.

Avgolemono Soup Alteration

First, I left out the salt. I always feel like chicken broth needs no extra salt. I pan fried up my chicken and cut into pieces instead of shredding it (but poached chicken probably has less calories) and I used dried basil and parsley at the end since I didn’t have fresh on hand. I used prepared garlic because I don’t like to touch it. And this may sound odd, but I used Jasmine Rice. I try to find many excuses to use jasmine rice because it smells and tastes delicious.

To add some color:Grozen peas or mushrooms would work nicely in this flavoring and also provide some much needed color. If you don’t use torn basil, your sort of stuck with a bland looking soup, but Avgolemono Soup doesn’t have a bland flavor.

While cooking I always have trouble with conversions. If this is you, I have an article which shares conversions like how many cups are in a pint, take a look- super helpful!

 

Need a sandwich to pair your soup with? Try Chicken and Waffles!