CHICKEN SOUP RECIPE WITH EGG & LEMON SAUCE
KOTOSOUPA AVGOLEMONO

This chicken soup recipe is a classic in Greece as well as many countries.
You just can't beat a great chicken soup for comfort food when feeling under the weather or just need a good quality meal with that home cooked feeling.

With this soup we have added the Greek touch, Avgolemono - egg and lemon sauce which takes it to another level from a plain soup to a beautiful subtle creamy soup with an enhanced flavour of lemons.

Avgolemono is added to many meals, soups and casseroles.
Although it takes a little care to make, once mastered it is a wonderful simple addition meals, giving them a creamy texture and a citrus kick to the meal.

Ingredients

1 medium chicken, cleaned
2 carrots
2 sticks celery, including the leaves
1 onion
salt, ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
2 eggs
2 lemons
round rice - 1 tablespoon per person

Preparation

To make the chicken soup recipe, clean the chicken inside and out.
Place the chicken in a large stock saucepan and add water to cover. Generally the rule is 2 teacups water per person plus 2 to 4 cups more, but at least ensure the chicken is well covered with water.

Peel the carrots, cut into 4 or 5 lengths and add to soup.
Cut the celery into 4 or 5 lengths and add to soup, along with the leaves, finely chopped.
Peel an onion and quarter and add to soup.
Add to the soup, oregano, olive oil, ground pepper and a good serving of salt - about 1/4 tablespoon salt.
Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until the chicken comes away from the bone.

Once ready, remove the chicken and place on a plate.
Strain the chicken stock to get rid of the vegetables and any bones etc in the soup and return the liquid to the saucepan.

Add the rice to the chicken soup, approximately 1 tablespoon of rice per person. (Round rice is much better to use for this than long grain rice.)
Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
Take the saucepan off the heat.

In the meantime, pull the chicken away from the bone and cut up into small pieces, ready to return to the soup at the end.

With an electric mixer, mix the 2 eggs together until light and frothy.
Gradually add the juice of 2 lemons, a little at a time, mixing it in well.

Then, slowly add 1 tablespoon at a time of the soup to the egg and lemon mixture, mixing it in well before adding another spoonful, for about 4 or 5 spoonfuls of soup to gradually bring the lemon mixture to the same temperature as the soup.
You must take care at this stage as if you hurry this the egg mixture may curdle.

Now add the avgolemono sauce to the chicken soup recipe.

Shake the saucepan for the soup to blend in well together with the egg and lemon sauce, if necessary stir it very gently for a very short while.

Add the chopped up chicken to the soup, stir through and serve.

Kali Orexi - Bon Appetit

Return from Chicken Soup Recipe for more Greek Chicken Recipes