A cozy Greek chicken and orzo soup finished with a silky egg and lemon mixture that turns the broth creamy without any cream. It is bright, tangy, and hearty all at once.
At a Glance
Main simmer
About 45 minutes
Orzo
8 to 10 minutes
Chicken
Bone-in thighs, or a whole chicken
Key technique
Tempering the eggs so they do not scramble
Ingredients
Soup
Ingredient
Amount
Bone-in chicken thighs (or 1 whole chicken)
5 to 8
Olive oil
As needed
Italian seasoning
1 tbsp
Onion, diced
1 whole
Garlic, minced
5 to 10 cloves
Celery, diced
3/4 cup
Carrot, diced
1
Chicken broth
As needed
Orzo pasta
3/4 cup
Bay leaves (optional)
To taste
Salt and pepper
To taste
Avgolemono mixture
Ingredient
Amount
Eggs
4
Lemon juice
2 to 3 lemons
Lemon zest
From the lemons
Reserved broth from the soup
As needed
Method
Build the soup
Season the chicken and sear it in a pot with a little olive oil until browned. Once golden, set it aside.
In the same pot, saute the vegetables until fragrant, then stir in the Italian seasoning. Pour in the chicken broth, and add bay leaves if you are using them.
Return the chicken to the pot and bring it to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.
Shred the chicken and add it back to the soup.
Stir in the orzo and cook it in the broth for 8 to 10 minutes.
Finish with the avgolemono
While the orzo cooks, whisk the eggs with the lemon juice and zest in a separate bowl.
Temper the eggs: slowly pour a thin stream of hot broth into the bowl while whisking constantly. Going slowly keeps the eggs from scrambling.
Once tempered, gently stir the egg and lemon mixture back into the pot.
Serve hot, garnished with fresh dill or parsley.
Notes
Do not skip the constant whisking while tempering. It is the one step that decides whether the soup turns out silky or scrambled.
After the egg mixture goes in, keep the soup at a gentle heat and avoid a hard boil, which can curdle it.
The soup thickens as it sits, and the orzo keeps absorbing broth, so add a splash of broth when reheating leftovers.
Use the juice of 2 lemons for a softer flavor and 3 if you like it bright and tangy.