Avgolemono Soup

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Sunny taste of lemon, velvety texture of egg, chicken and rice for body – everything you need to make you feel like you’re back in the Aegean, in one bowl.

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 bay leaf
½ cup long grain white rice
4 large eggs, at room temperature
Sea salt
Chopped chives for garnish

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
(about 12 ounces total)
4 green cardamom pods
3 lemons
2 quarts low sodium chicken stock

Instructions

  1. Put the chicken breasts in a saucepan, with water to cover. Boil over medium heat until cooked through. Remove to a plate to cool.
  2. Meanwhile, crush the cardamom pods lightly. With a paring knife, cut 12 strips of zest from the lemons, taking as little of the white pith as possible. Juice the lemons to obtain ¼ cup of juice.
  3. Bring chicken stock to boil in medium nonreactive saucepan over high heat. Add bay leaf, cardamom and lemon zest. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until stock is aromatic, 16 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and let steep.
  4. When the chicken breasts have cooled, pull and separate the meat into fine shreds, by hand. You can prepare up to this point ahead of serving. Don’t proceed with the final cooking until you’re about 30 minutes from serving, or the rice will get mushy.
  5. With a slotted spoon, remove the bay leaf, cardamom and lemon zest from the stock. Increase heat to high and return stock to boil. Add the shredded chicken and rice then reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until the rice is soft, 15-20 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, crack two of the eggs into a medium bowl. Add the yolks from the other two eggs, and the lemon juice. Whisk lightly until combined.
  7. Turn heat to low. Whisking constantly, slowly ladle about 2 cups of hot stock into egg mixture. Whisk until combined. Stirring constantly, pour egg-stock mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring, until soup is slightly thickened and wisps of steam appear, 4 to 5 minutes. Do not simmer or boil.
  8. Salt to taste, and test for lemon – you may want to add more juice.
  9. Divide soup among serving bowls, sprinkle with chives. Serve immediately.

My husband says: Shred the chicken meat into the finest strands you have the patience for. It’s tedious, I know, but the flavor and mouth feel are greatly enhanced if you can take the time.

If you don’t have cardamom pods, substitute a couple of whole cloves instead. It’s a different flavor, but still very good. Check out Penzey’s spices as a great source.