Avgolemono

About Avgolemono

Avgolemono is a Greek chicken and rice soup named for the technique that defines it: avgo (egg) and lemono (lemon) whisked together and stirred in to thicken and brighten the broth. There's no cream or flour anywhere; the silkiness comes entirely from tempering beaten eggs and lemon juice with hot broth, then folding that mixture back into the pot off the heat. Chicken is poached gently in stock and shredded, rice is simmered in the same broth until tender, and the egg-lemon liaison ties them together into something velvety and pale gold. It's comfort food with a distinctly Mediterranean tang.

The finished soup is at once rich and refreshing, the body of a chicken-and-rice soup lifted by a bright, almost tart lemon edge that keeps it from feeling heavy. Fresh dill stirred in at the end adds a grassy note that pairs naturally with the lemon. Avgolemono is a classic starter for Sunday meals and holidays but eats just as well as a light supper on its own, especially when you want something soothing. The single skill it asks of you is the tempering: warm the eggs slowly with ladled broth and keep the pot below a boil afterward, and the soup thickens smoothly instead of curdling into scrambled egg.