Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chicken Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken
- 12 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup uncooked orzo
- 5 medium-size lemons
- 4 for juicing (about 2/3 cup juice)
- 1 sliced thin for garnishing
- 6 large eggs at room temperature
- Coarsely cracked black peppercorns
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 leeks, sliced
- 2 carrots, shredded
Instructions
Remove meat from rotisserie chicken, cut to bit-sized pieces and refrigerate.
Place the chicken broth in a stockpot and add the chicken carcass and bay leaves. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 1 hour.
Strain the broth and set aside.
Heat a small amount of olive oil in the pot and add the onion. Sautee for 4 minutes. Add leeks and sautee an additional 2 minutes. Add carrots and sautee for 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add 4 cups of broth to the vegetable mixture and immersion-blend vegetables to a puree.
Add the rest of the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add the orzo, cover and simmer for 13 minutes or until the orzo is al dente. Add the chicken. Leave the soup on the burner with the lid on but turn the burner off.
Whisk the lemon juice and eggs together in a small bowl. Add one ladle of warm soup broth to the lemon-egg mixture, whisking continually until incorporated. Add another ladle of broth, whisking.
Pour the lemon-egg mixture into the pot of soup and stir until combined and smooth. (The temperature of the soup will cook the egg.)
Serve immediately, garnished with slices of lemon and coarsely ground black peppercorns.
Makes 8 servings.
Optional Orzo-free Version
Used minced carrots (about the size of orzo) instead of orzo for texture.
Cook onion and leeks first. Blend and set aside. Sautee carrots. Then add blended vegetables back in and continue as normal.