Stunning Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe

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Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup: Your New Weeknight Favorite

If you’re looking for that perfect hug in a bowl, you have absolutely found it with this Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup. I’m Anna, and I’m obsessed with making everyday cooking feel joyful and genuinely easy for busy folks like us. I’ve spent years tinkering with classic comfort recipes, trying to strip away the fuss while keeping all that amazing flavor.

This soup, often called Avgolemono, is my go-to when I need something bright yet deeply satisfying in under an hour. We’re talking tender chicken, soft orzo, and that signature velvety texture, all achieved without a drop of cream. Trust me, once you nail the lemon-egg swirl, this recipe becomes a permanent fixture in your rotation!

Essential Ingredients for Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

When making Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup, ingredient quality really shines through because the recipe is so simple. We aren’t hiding anything under heavy cream or loads of cheese, so we need the good stuff! Everything here is scaled perfectly for four generous servings. Don’t skimp on the fresh lemon or the dill—that’s where the magic happens.

Here is exactly what you need to pull this comforting soup together:

Item	Amount	Notes
Extra Virgin Olive Oil	2 tablespoons	For sautéing the base.
Yellow Onion	1 large	Diced.
Carrots	2 large	Diced.
Celery Stalks	2	Diced.
Garlic	4 cloves	Minced finely.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts	1 pound	Kept whole for simmering.
Low Sodium Chicken Broth	8 cups	The foundation of the soup.
Orzo Pasta	1 cup	Uncooked.
Dried Oregano	1 teaspoon	For that authentic Greek note.
Egg Yolks	3 large	Crucial for the creamy finish!
Fresh Lemon Juice	0.5 cup	Must be fresh!
Fresh Dill	0.25 cup	Chopped.
Kosher Salt & Pepper	To taste	Start with 1 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp pepper.

Produce and Aromatics

We build flavor right at the start with our vegetables, which is called the mirepoix in fancier kitchens, but I just call it the flavor base! You need to dice the onion, carrots, and celery into nice, small, even pieces. This helps them soften up beautifully in the oil. Then, mince those four cloves of garlic—don’t even think about using the jarred stuff here, the fresh flavor is essential before we bloom the oregano with them.

Chicken and Broth Components

For this recipe that yields four servings, you’ll use one full pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. We actually cook them right in the broth, which keeps them incredibly moist and flavors the liquid perfectly. Make sure you have 8 cups of low-sodium chicken broth ready to go. Using low-sodium gives you total control over how salty the final soup is, which is important when we add the salt later.

The Avgolemono Base

This is the special part that makes it Greek! The Avgolemono is created separately using 3 large egg yolks, a good half cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and about a quarter cup of fresh dill, chopped up. Whisk these together until they are pale and completely smooth before we temper them. That bright, tart lemon flavor is what cuts through the richness of the eggs.

Gathering Your Tools for Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

You don’t need a million fancy gadgets for this Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup, but having the right gear makes the process smooth, especially when dealing with those delicate eggs. First up, grab your largest, heaviest pot—a Dutch oven is perfect because it holds heat so well for simmering.

You absolutely must have a good whisk for tempering the eggs; don’t try to use a fork! Also, since we are cooking raw chicken, an instant-read thermometer is your safety buddy to ensure that chicken hits 165°F. A sturdy cutting board and sharp knife for dicing are necessary, too.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Making amazing Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup is really just about timing and building flavor in stages. Since we are cooking everything in one pot, cleanup is a breeze! Just follow these steps closely, especially when we get to the egg mixture, and you’ll have that perfect creamy texture every time.

Sautéing the Mirepoix and Building Flavor

First things first, get your veggies ready. Dice that onion, carrots, and celery into small, even shapes. Heat up 2 tablespoons of good olive oil in your big Dutch oven over medium heat. Toss in the diced veggies and let them sauté for about 8 minutes. You want them soft and sweet, not browned or crispy. Once they’ve softened up nicely, stir in the minced garlic and the teaspoon of dried oregano. Cook for just one minute more until you can really smell that oregano—we call that blooming, and it wakes up the herb’s flavor!

Cooking the Chicken and Simmering the Base

Now, pour in all 8 cups of your low-sodium chicken broth. Take your whole, raw chicken breasts and nestle them right down into the liquid. Turn the heat up until the broth starts a rolling boil, and then immediately turn it back down to low, cover the pot, and let it gently simmer. We need to cook the chicken through to 165°F. Use that instant-read thermometer to check the thickest part of the breast; this usually takes between 15 and 20 minutes. Safety first!

When the chicken is done, carefully transfer the breasts onto a clean cutting board to rest for a few minutes. While that’s happening, stir the uncooked orzo pasta directly into the simmering broth. Let the orzo cook uncovered for about 9 or 10 minutes until it’s tender. Once the orzo is cooked, shred that rested chicken using two forks into nice bite-sized pieces and stir it back into the soup pot.

Preparing and Tempering the Lemon Egg Mixture

This is where you need your focus! In a separate, heatproof bowl, vigorously whisk your 3 egg yolks and the half-cup of fresh lemon juice together until they are completely smooth and pale yellow. Now, the crucial part: tempering. You must slowly introduce heat to the eggs so they don’t scramble. Ladle just one cup of the hot broth from the soup pot, a little bit at a time, into your egg mixture while whisking constantly and fast. If you dump it all in at once, you’ll end up with lemon-flavored scrambled eggs, and nobody wants that!

Finishing the Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Once that tempered egg mixture is smooth and warm, slowly pour it back into the main soup pot. Keep the heat on low and stir gently for about 3 minutes. You’ll notice the soup getting slightly thicker and velvety—that’s the Avgolemono working its magic! Do not let it boil once the egg mixture is in, or it will curdle.

When it’s just thickened, immediately take the entire pot off the heat. That residual heat is enough. Stir in your fresh dill, the kosher salt, and the black pepper. Taste it now! If it needs a little more zing, add a squeeze more lemon. Ladle it straight into bowls and top with a beautiful fresh lemon slice for garnish.

Expert Tips for Perfect Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

I know the Avgolemono step sounds scary, but once you master it, you’ll be making this Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup weekly! The biggest fear people have is scrambling those yolks, but it’s totally manageable with a little patience. Don’t rush that tempering process; it’s the difference between creamy comfort and a ruined batch.

Also, remember that the lemon flavor brightens as the soup sits, so season it thoughtfully at the end. You want it bright, but not overwhelmingly sour straight out of the pot. A little salt goes a long way in bringing out that beautiful lemon tang!

Achieving Velvet Texture Without Dairy

The secret to that incredible, dairy-free velvet texture lies entirely in the egg yolks—they are the emulsifiers here! The yolks, when whisked with the acidic lemon juice, create a stable base. Tempering is just slowly raising the temperature of that egg base using hot broth so the proteins set gently instead of seizing up instantly. If you whisk constantly while adding the hot liquid, you’re essentially teaching the eggs to thicken the soup evenly. It’s chemical magic right on your stovetop!

Handling the Orzo Pasta

When should you add that orzo? Wait until the chicken is fully cooked and removed before adding the pasta. If you add it too early, it will absorb all the liquid and turn into mushy paste while you wait for the chicken to hit 165°F. Since orzo cooks quickly (about 10 minutes), add it right after you shred the chicken and return it to the pot. It will finish cooking right as the soup is ready for the thickening stage. If you plan on having leftovers, remember that orzo will continue to swell in the fridge, so you might want to cook a tiny bit less or add an extra splash of broth when reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions About Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

I get so many questions about this soup because everyone wants their Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup to be absolutely perfect! It’s such a classic, and I love helping you troubleshoot those small points that make a big difference in the final bowl.

Here are a few things folks ask me most often about making this wonderful Avgolemono:

Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh dill?

Oh, that’s a common one! Fresh dill really gives you that bright, authentic flavor, and I always recommend it if you can find it. However, if you only have dried dill on hand, you can absolutely substitute it. The general rule of thumb is that dried herbs are more concentrated than fresh. For the quarter cup of fresh dill required, you should use about one tablespoon of dried dill. Since dried dill is potent, add it when you add the oregano earlier in the process, rather than stirring it in at the very end with the salt.

What is the proper way to shred the chicken?

Shredding the chicken right after it rests is the easiest way to get those perfect bite-sized pieces for your Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup. Don’t use a knife! Once the chicken breast is cool enough to handle—but still warm—place it on your cutting board. Take two forks, stick one into the meat, and use the other fork to pull the meat apart along the grain. It should fall apart into lovely, tender strands easily. Make sure you shred it right before adding it back to the orzo-filled broth so it stays nice and moist.

Storing and Enjoying Leftover Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

This soup is honestly even better the next day, but you have to store and reheat it carefully because of that wonderful egg-thickened base. The biggest thing to remember is that the orzo will continue to swell once it’s chilled, soaking up more broth. Don’t panic if it looks super thick the next morning!

When reheating, always use low heat on the stovetop. Never boil it, especially when the Avgolemono is present, or you risk breaking the emulsion again. Just warm it gently. If it’s too thick, stir in a splash of extra chicken broth or even just water until you hit that perfect consistency again.

Storage Method	Duration	Reheating Tip
Airtight Container (Fridge)	3 to 4 days	Low heat on stove, add extra broth if thick.
Freezing	Not Recommended	The egg base can separate badly upon thawing.

Share Your Experience Making Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

I truly hope this recipe brings some sunny, comforting flavor to your table! Did you nail the tempering on your first try? I want to hear all about it. Let me know how you liked this Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup and give it a star rating below so others know it’s worth making!

If you enjoyed this recipe, you can find more great ideas like this on our Pinterest page.

Share Your Experience Making Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

I truly hope this recipe brings some sunny, comforting flavor to your table! Did you nail the tempering on your first try? I want to hear all about it. Let me know how you liked this Golden Greek Lemon Chicken Soup and give it a star rating below so others know it’s worth making!

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