Description
Delicious creamy Greek lemon chicken soup with rice is made with no cream or dairy at all. The creaminess comes from tempered eggs added to the broth.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For The Chicken Broth (For the quick version, skip this section and use store-bought chicken broth and rotisserie chicken. You'll need 8 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken)
- 1 small chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds) cut into 8 parts
- 1 carrot, chunked
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 stalks celery, sliced into thirds
- 1/2 bunch parsley, washed
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 12 cups cold water
For the Greek Lemon Chicken Soup:
- 8 cups of homemade or store-bought chicken broth
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 1/2 or 2 lemons)
- 3 1/2 cups cooked white rice
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the Chicken Broth: (For the quick version, skip this step and use store-bought chicken broth and rotisserie chicken) Put the chicken, carrot, onion, celery, parsley, and salt in a large Dutch oven or stock pot. Add 12 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Lower to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered. After 10 minutes, skim the white solids that rise to the top. (this will ensure a clearer broth) Simmer gently for an hour more. Remove the chicken from the pot. Take the meat off the bones. Shred or cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Pour the soup and vegetables through a strainer, reserving the broth. (The cooked vegetables will not be needed for this recipe). Using a large spoon, skim the fat that pools on top of the broth. If you have time to make a broth a day early, a night in the fridge makes it easy to remove the fat. The fat becomes a thin hard layer, sitting on top. Return 8 cups of chicken broth to the pot and heat to a simmer before continuing.
- Make The Greek Lemon Chicken Soup: Whisk the eggs and lemon juice in a small bowl until fully mixed. While whisking, slowly drizzle one cup of hot broth into the egg-lemon mixture. Then pour egg-lemon-soup mixture into the heated pot of broth while whisking to combine. Reheat gently but don't allow the soup to boil or the eggs will curdle.
- Scoop 1/2 to 3/4 cup of hot rice into the bottom of each soup bowl. Add some shredded chicken. Pour in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of broth. Season, to taste, with salt and fresh ground pepper. Garnish with a lemon slice and some parsley, if you like. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: Greek