Description
Delicious creamy Greek lemon chicken soup is made with no cream or dairy at all. The creaminess comes from tempered eggs added to the broth.
Ingredients
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- For The Homemade Chicken Broth(Making homemade broth is optional. See notes below for the quick and easy version of this recipe, using store-bought chicken broth and rotisserie 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 Lemon Chicken Soup:
- 8 cups of 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
- Lemon slices and parsley to garnish, optional
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Instructions
- Make the Chicken Broth: (For the quick version, skip this step and use store-bought chicken broth and rotisserie chicken. See notes.)
- 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 the 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.
- To Serve
- 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!
Notes
- To make this with store-bought chicken broth and rotisserie chicken, you'll need 8 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Category: Soup
- Method: simmer
- Cuisine: Greek