Description
A comforting and creamy lemon chicken soup with tender chicken, savory broth, and a distinct egg-lemon mixture.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5–2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 8 cups unsalted chicken broth
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2–3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns, crushed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup orzo pasta
- 1–2 fresh carrots, finely diced
- 1–2 fresh celery stalks, finely diced
- Fresh dill or parsley, chopped (for garnish)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large pot and sear chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Set aside.
- Add chopped onion, celery, and carrots to the pot; sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened. Return chicken, add broth, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 45-60 minutes.
- Remove chicken, let cool, then shred or dice. Strain broth into another pot, discarding solids.
- Return broth to a simmer and add orzo, cooking for 8-10 minutes. Stir in finely diced carrots and celery, then mix in shredded chicken and heat through.
- In a bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Slowly add lemon juice while whisking.
- Temper the eggs by slowly drizzling hot broth into the egg mixture while whisking. Remove soup pot from heat, and gradually stir in egg mixture without boiling.
- Gently heat the soup for a few minutes until thickened. Adjust seasonings as desired. Serve garnished with dill or parsley.
Notes
Use fresh herbs for the best flavor. Adjust acidity of lemon juice to taste.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 235
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 186mg