Traditionally served after Christmas Eve church services, this easy Greek Chicken Lemon Rice Soup (also known as Avgolemono Soup) is so comforting and hearty, it deserves to be on the menu year-round. (Once you try it, I think you’ll agree!)

Greek Avgolemono Soup Recipe

I worked at a Greek restaurant through nearly all of high school and as a result, many of my favorite comfort foods are Greek dishes that I can’t easily make at home.

Moussaka? Gyros? I’ll leave making those up to the professionals. (Aka, the ladies at my local Greek cultural center that provide take-away meals once a week.) But avgolemono soup? I can confidently remake that at home without much fuss, which is great because I tend to crave it when I don’t want to leave the house.

Pronounced av-gow-lah-ma-no, which translates to egg-lemon, this easy Greek lemon rice soup is velvety and luxurious in texture with tender, shredded chicken and soft, plump rice. The generous amount of lemon lends the soup a bright and tangy flavor that is beautifully complemented by the addition of garlic and earthy oregano.

There is one slight technical aspect to making this soup, which is tempering the hot broth into the eggs to ensure that the eggs don’t turn into scrambled eggs once they hit the soup pot. This is super easy to do, you just need to whisk the eggs in a bowl as you pour the hot broth into the bowl. Take your time and maybe enlist a helper if you are nervous about pouring a hot liquid while whisking.

The method of tempering the egg, lemon and broth together to make a sauce is used often in Mediterranean cuisines, and can be used to make a creamy sauce to serve on top of roasted veggies, grilled chicken, baked fish, etc.

How to make this recipe without cornstarch: Cornstarch isn’t traditionally used to make avgolemono soup; typically, a bit of the rice is blended with some broth and then added back to the soup to thicken. Personally, I’d rather use a bit of cornstarch and save myself the hassle of cleaning the blender (and not to mention, you have to be really careful blending hot liquids) but if you’d prefer to use the traditional method, you will remove 1/4 to 1/2 cup of rice along with at least an equal amount of broth and blitz in the blender just before the egg tempering step in the recipe. Add the rice mixture into the soup after adding in the tempered egg.

What kind of rice is best for chicken lemon rice soup? A short-grain rice like arborio (also used in risottos and rice puddings) is traditional, but we have often used Jasmine rice (what I always have on hand) to great results

How to store leftover avgolemono soup: Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the soup for up to 3 months. I am a fan of freezing soup in individual portions for a quick and easy lunch – these souper cubers are great for that!

Ingredients for Greek Lemon Rice Soup

• Olive Oil
• Onion, diced
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Garlic Cloves, crushed and sliced
• Chicken Broth, as desired <– grab our recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Broth here
• Rice, uncooked
• Shredded, Cooked Chicken
• Egg
• Lemon Juice
• Cornstarch, optional
• Basil, shredded
• Bay Leaves, optional

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Tip: swap out the basil for other seasonings to create new flavor profiles with this yummy chicken soup.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

• Heavy stockpot or Dutch Oven <– highly recommended for even cooking and seamlessly transferring this recipe from the stove to the oven
• Sharp Kitchen Knife
• Cutting Board
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Small Bowl
• Whisk
• Wooden spoon or spatula <– I like these spatulas because they are one solid piece and don’t have removable heads for bacteria to get trapped underneath. Plus they are heat-resistant and have a lifetime warranty

How to Make Greek Chicken Lemon Rice Soup

Place olive oil in a dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat.

Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion and cook for 2-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent.

Add the garlic, salt and pepper and cook for 1 additional minute.

Add 4 cups of chicken stock and then increase the heat to high to bring the broth to a boil.

Add rice and continue to boil for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low.

If using bay leaf, add it now.

Simmer the soup at medium-low for 10 minutes, until the rice is cooked through. (Test a piece to ensure it’s done to your liking.)

Remove 1 cup of the broth to a small bowl or measuring cup, and then add the cooked chicken to the soup pot.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg, lemon juice and cornstarch. Continue to whisk the lemon-egg mixture as you slowly pour in the hot broth.

(Alternatively, instead of using cornstarch you can blitz 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the rice in a blender along with some broth to thicken the soup.)

Add the egg mixture to the stockpot and stir to combine.

Discard the bay leaf, if using.

Stir in the basil, to taste, and add additional broth or seasoning, as desired.

Pin this Easy Avgolemono Soup recipe for the next time you’re craving a hearty and comforting bowl of chicken and rice soup:

Grab your free printable recipe card for our easy Greek Lemon Rice Soup recipe:

I hope your family loves this easy Greek chicken and rice soup as much as mine does!

For more ways to enjoy chicken, check out our full chicken recipe collection here:

For more scrumptious soups, check out our full soup recipe collection here: