- Prep10 min
- Cook30 min
- Freezer friendlyyes
Avgolemono soup is Greek egg-and-lemon chicken soup, and this version keeps the fuss right down. Supermarket roast chook, frozen cauli rice, one saucepan. The only fiddly bit is the egg, and that’s a bowl and a whisk.
Want it easier still? Frozen chopped onion and jarred garlic skip the chopping. You get a bright, creamy soup with no dairy, and enough for four serves.
Can I manage this today?
- Spoon rating: 🥄🥄 Low-Spoon (new to spoons? Here’s what we mean)
- Hands-on time: about 10 minutes of prep, then a 10-minute simmer and the egg step
- Main effort: whisking the hot broth into the egg and lemon a little at a time
- Chopping: a little (one small onion’s worth, one garlic clove, and shredding the chicken). Frozen onion and jarred garlic leave just the chicken
- Standing and attention: stove time for the sauté and a 10-minute simmer, then the egg step, which needs both hands and your attention while you whisk
- Washing up: one saucepan, one bowl and a whisk, plus a board and knife if you chop
Quick spoon check
- Low-spoon version: roast chook, frozen chopped onion, jarred garlic and bottled lemon juice
- As written: fresh onion and garlic, and you shred the chicken yourself
There’s no assemble-only version of this one. It needs the stove and the egg step.
Kerry’s notes
I use a supermarket roast chook for this one. It’s already cooked, it’s usually seasoned, and shredding it into a bowl is less work than handling raw chicken. The frozen cauli rice goes straight into the pot, so there’s no grating a cauliflower either.
The egg is the only bit that needs you. Ladle the hot broth into the egg and lemon a little at a time, whisking as you go, so the egg warms up gently instead of scrambling. Then whisk it back into the pot. That’s the whole trick.
Lemons get plenty of airtime online. Leigh has read the research so I don’t have to, and her ingredients and nutrition guides will tell you what it does and doesn’t say. I’ll put the kettle on.
Why this recipe works
- The chicken is already cooked, so the soup only has to get hot. No raw meat on the board.
- Egg and lemon give a creamy body and a sharp, bright finish with no cream or milk.
- Cauli rice gives the soup a rice-like texture and keeps it low carb.
- Most of it lives in the pantry or the freezer. Only the chook and a lemon need buying fresh, and the lemon can be bottled.
Ingredients at a glance
- Cooked chicken: the protein. Already cooked, so it only has to heat through.
- Chicken broth or stock: the soup base.
- Frozen cauliflower rice: the rice-like texture, low carb, no chopping.
- Brown onion and garlic: base flavour, softened in olive oil.
- Olive oil: for softening the onion and garlic.
- Bay leaf: background flavour. It comes out before serving.
- Lemon juice: the sharp, bright flavour. With the egg, it makes the soup creamy.
- Egg: whisked with the lemon juice and stirred in to thicken the soup.
No Spoon Swaps
- Supermarket roast chook: skips cooking the chicken. It’s usually seasoned, so taste before adding more salt.
- Frozen chopped onion: skips the knife. Fresh gives a slightly stronger flavour, but frozen works fine here.
- Jarred garlic: skips chopping. Check the jar for how much equals one clove.
- Bottled lemon juice: skips the squeezing. It tastes a little less fresh, so taste before serving.
- Packaged cooked chicken: skips shredding a whole chook. Check the label, because some are flavoured.
- Carton or cube stock: no homemade stock needed. It can be saltier, so go easy on the salt.
Substitutions and allergens
- Low carb as written: the cauli rice keeps it low carb. Our keto vs low carb guide explains the difference.
- Lemon juice: fresh or bottled both work.
- Egg-free: not tested, and the egg is what thickens the soup.
Allergen notes
- Egg: whisked with the lemon juice and stirred through. Not removable.
- Gluten: none in the recipe, but some stocks contain it. Check the label.
- Dairy: none as written.
- Labels vary by brand, so check yours.
Storage, freezing and reheating
- Fridge: cool within 2 hours, then keep in a container at 5°C or below and eat within 3 days.
- Freezer: freezes and reheats well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge, use within 24 hours and don’t refreeze.
- Reheating: reheat on low, stirring, until steaming hot all the way through. Reheat once only.
Serving ideas
- Top with chopped parsley or spring onion.
- More Greek: Greek Garlic Chicken Tray Bake on another low-spoon night.
- Want it cold instead? Try the Mediterranean Lamb Salad.
Frequently asked questions
What does avgolemono soup mean?
Avgolemono means “egg-lemon” in Greek. The egg and lemon are whisked together and stirred into the hot soup, which makes it creamy.
Why add the hot broth to the egg a little at a time?
It warms the egg gently so it doesn’t scramble when it goes back into the pot. Whisk as you pour.
Can I use leftover roast chicken?
Yes. You need 3 cups of cooked chicken, shredded or chopped. Use home-roasted chicken within 3 days of cooking.
Is this soup dairy-free?
Yes, as written. There’s no milk or cream. The egg and lemon make it creamy. Check your stock label if you have an allergy.
How long does it keep?
Cool within 2 hours, then keep it in the fridge at 5°C or below and eat within 3 days. It freezes for up to 3 months. Reheat on low until steaming hot all the way through, once only.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. Freeze it in containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge, use within 24 hours and don’t refreeze. Reheat on low until steaming hot all the way through.
Avgolemono (Greek Lemon Chicken Soup)
Equipment
- Large saucepan
- Medium bowl
- Whisk
- Ladle
- Chopping Board
- Sharp Knife
Ingredients
Soup base
- 1 tbsp (20 ml) olive oil
- ¼ cup brown onion diced
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper to season
- 3 cups (750 ml) chicken broth or stock
Chicken and cauli rice
- 3 cups cooked chicken shredded or chopped
- 2 cups frozen cauliflower rice
Egg and lemon
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (125 ml) lemon juice
To serve (optional)
- chopped parsley or spring onion
Instructions
Prepare
- Dice the onion into small pieces.
- Chop the garlic.
- Shred or chop the chicken.
Make the soup
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is see-through.
- Add the salt and pepper.
- Pour in the stock and add the bay leaf.
- Bring to a simmer.
- Add the cauliflower rice and the chicken.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, until the cauliflower rice is just cooked and the soup is steaming hot.
Add the egg and lemon
- Whisk the egg and lemon juice together in a medium bowl.
- Ladle in about 1 cup of the hot broth, a little at a time, whisking as you pour.
- Slowly whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan.
- Remove the bay leaf.
- Taste, and add more seasoning if needed.
Serve
- Top with parsley or spring onion if you like.
Notes
Nutrition
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A final spoon-saving note
Buy the roast chook, shred it before you turn the stove on, and let the pot do the rest. Reheat leftovers on low and eat them within three days. Give it a go on a night when the spoon drawer’s looking thin.
