A rice and chicken soup is one of the most comforting things that exist, perfect to make you feel at home, take advantage of that night when it rains and it’s not so hot to have something other than gazpacho or heal you when you’re sick. A humble, simple dish, with little sophistication. But there is a Greek version that elevates this classic of mom’s cooking, and it has a very nice name: avgolemono.
This name reveals its two key ingredients: avgoegg, and lemono, of lemon. The soup is based on chicken broth, in which rice is cooked for a long time to release its starch and thicken the soup slightly, mixed with chopped chicken and finished with an egg and lemon mixture. But be careful, unlike what we may be used to in soups like Castilian soup, the egg is tempered first – its temperature is raised slowly – and then it is added little by little, so that instead of curdling and forming the characteristic threads, it is emulsify with the broth and create a creamy, thick soup with a wonderful texture.
The rice indicated in the recipe is carnaroli or arborio, which is usually used for risotto, since its amount of starch is higher and therefore it will thicken the soup more. If you can’t find these varieties, you can make it with Bomba or Marisma rice, which are more common in Spain. You can change the chicken thighs for breast, wings, or even for an already cooked roast chicken: if you use this last option, you don’t need to cook it beforehand with the rice.
Time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: Be careful not to curdle the eggs when adding them to the soup.
Ingredients
For 5 people
- 4 chicken thighs
- 1 onion
- 2 l chicken broth
- 150 g carnaroli or arborio rice (for risotto)
- 160 ml lemon juice (4 lemons) or to taste
- 3 eggs (size L)
- Parsley to finish
Instructions
Peel and chop the onion into fine brunoise and fry over medium-high heat, with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt, for 15 minutes, until lightly caramelized.
Add the chicken broth and thighs and bring to a boil. When it boils, add the rice.
After 20 minutes, remove the chicken thighs and continue cooking the rice for 15 more minutes (35 in total).
Meanwhile, shred the chicken, and mix the eggs and lemon juice in a bowl, beating with a whisk until homogeneous.
When the rice is ready, little by little add two ladles of the hot soup to the bowl of the egg and lemon mixture, whisking constantly to slowly temper the eggs. Then, add the mixture to the saucepan over medium heat, along with the chicken. Mix well and heat for five minutes without boiling.
Serve with the zest of the lemon peel that we used for the juice and parsley leaves.
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