Greek Lemon Soup —Avgolemono

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

If you've never tried this Greek soup before, you shouldn't hesitate to make it as the temperatures drop and the leaves start to fall. ChristineQ, who developed this amazing soup recipe, is from Bainbridge Island, Washington, and knows a thing or two about cold weather recipes. Avgolemono is an eggy, lemony, orzo-spiked bowl of goodness. All you have to do is cook the orzo in some stock, temper the eggs and lemon juice, simmer, and serve. Instead of orzo, you can use rice if you'd like. 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. It tastes creamy and hearty yet requires no dairy. 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.

Because the soup can be delicate, it's best served when it's made; it'll lose some of that spectacular taste the longer it sits in the fridge. If you'd like, you can throw in some shredded chicken for an even heartier soup. Feel free to adjust the amount of lemon juice depending on your individual palate. Dill is the traditional garnish for avgolemono, but you can use any bright green herbs you have on hand, such as thyme, mint, even chives. You won't find an easier, more luxurious, soul-warming soup than this one, trust us! Give it a try and let us know how it goes for you below. —Food52