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Easter

Greek Lemon Soup —Avgolemono

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January 28, 2013
31 Reviews
Greek Lemon Soup —Avgolemono
Photo by Mark Weinberg
Author Notes

The name of this classic Greek soup emulsion of lemon and eggs comes from its two main ingredients: egg (avgo) and lemon juice (lemono). The key to this soup is tempering the egg and lemon mixture by slowly adding hot stock and then whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling. You then stir the mixture into the soup, which becomes all velvety lush lemony goodness. A Greek salad and warm pita bread are wonderful accompaniments to this soup. —ChristineQ

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: ChristineQ is from Bainbridge Island, Washington.
WHAT: An eggy, lemony, orzo-spiked bowl of goodness.
HOW: Cook orzo in stock, temper the eggs and lemon juice, simmer, and serve.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Thanks to the magic of lemon and eggs, in just 30 minutes you've got a bowl of soup that's both easy and complex. We'd eat a bowl of this any season, but it's particularly perfect for early spring. Pantry meals just got a lot brighter -- and a lot more special. —Food52

  • Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
  • Soup
  • 8 cups homemade or store-bought chicken stock, divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups orzo
  • 1 dash sugar
  • Lemon Egg Mixture & Garnish
  • 4 eggs (whites and yolks separated), room temperature, such as Eggland's Best
  • 3 large lemons, juiced
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill
  • 1 dill sprig per serving (fresh thyme, mint, or chives may be used)
  • 4 to 6 paper-thin lemon slices (1 per serving)
In This Recipe
Directions
  1. To prepare the soup, bring stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Lower heat to a simmer and add salt, pepper, and orzo; cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Set aside 2 cups of stock.
  2. To prepare the lemon-egg mixture, beat egg whites in a medium-size bowl until soft peaks form. (You can do this with a handheld mixer [on medium] or with a stand mixer.) Beat in the egg yolks and lemon juice. Pour 2 cups of reserved hot stock slowly into the lemon and egg mixture, whisking continuously until all is incorporated. Return soup to medium-low heat and whisk in lemon-egg mixture. Add chicken stock back into the soup and simmer until thickened slightly, about 2–0 minutes.
  3. To serve the soup, ladle into warm bowls and garnish with white pepper, chopped dill, a dill sprig, and sliced lemon.
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