Greek Chicken Avgolemono with Wild Greens and Olive Oil
Avgolemono is Greece's beloved egg-lemon soup, silky and bright. This version combines poached chicken, tender rice, and peppery wild greens (spinach, arugula, or dandelion) in a rich broth thickened with eggs and brightened by fresh lemon juice. A drizzle of fragrant extra virgin olive oil finishes each bowl. It's naturally gluten-free, comes together in under an hour, and tastes like comfort with a Mediterranean accent.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Wait
- 5 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Makes
- 4 servings (about 10 cups total soup)
Steps
Before you start
- Bring chicken broth to a simmer in your pot before starting
- Have a whisk and heat-proof bowl ready for tempering the eggs
- Juice the lemons fresh just before making the soup
- Wash and roughly chop the wild greens
Poach chicken in brothOven 165°F / 75°C
- Bring the 6 cups (1440 ml) of chicken broth to a gentle simmer in your large pot over medium-high heat.
- Season with a pinch of salt.
- Gently lower the patted-dry chicken breasts into the simmering broth.
- The broth should come halfway up the sides of the chicken; add a splash of water if needed.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and maintain a bare simmer (small bubbles breaking the surface occasionally).
- Poach for 12–14 minutes until the thickest part of the chicken reads 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
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Ready when: Chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) internally and is opaque throughout
Tip: Keep the heat gentle; a rolling boil will toughen the chicken and cloud the broth.
Remove and shred chicken
- Using a slotted spoon or fine-mesh strainer, transfer the cooked chicken to a clean cutting board.
- Let it cool for 2–3 minutes, then shred it into bite-sized pieces using two forks or your fingers.
- Set aside.
- The broth remains in the pot.
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Ready when: Chicken is easily shredded and cools slightly
Add rice and simmer
- Return the broth (with the pot over medium heat) to a gentle simmer if it has cooled.
- Stir in the 0.33 cup (65 g) of rice and a generous pinch of salt.
- Maintain a steady simmer for 12–14 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and has absorbed some of the broth's flavor.
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Ready when: Rice grains are tender and partially translucent
Tip: Stir every few minutes to prevent the rice from settling and sticking to the bottom.
Wilt the wild greens
- Add the 4 cups (120 g) of roughly chopped wild greens directly to the simmering broth.
- Stir gently with a wooden spoon for about 1–2 minutes until the greens are fully wilted and darkened.
- They should be tender but still vibrant.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir to combine.
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Ready when: Greens are fully wilted and uniformly dark
Tip: Stir gently to keep the greens intact and avoid breaking up the shredded chicken.
Temper the eggs
- In a medium heat-proof bowl, whisk together the 3 eggs until pale and smooth, about 1 minute.
- Slowly pour 1 cup (240 ml) of the hot broth from the pot into the eggs while whisking constantly.
- This tempers the eggs and prevents them from scrambling.
- Continue whisking for about 1 minute so the eggs are fully incorporated and warmed through.
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Ready when: Egg mixture is pale and uniform, with no visible streaks
Tip: Whisk constantly while adding the hot broth—hesitation will cause scrambled egg bits in your soup.
Create the avgolemono
- Reduce the heat under the pot to low so the broth is just barely simmering—no rolling boil.
- While stirring the soup gently with a wooden spoon, pour the tempered egg mixture slowly into the pot.
- Stir constantly for about 2–3 minutes.
- The soup will thicken slightly and take on a pale golden, creamy appearance.
- The eggs create a silky emulsion without scrambling.
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Ready when: Soup is creamy and pale gold; no visible egg scramble; mixture coats the back of a spoon lightly
Tip: Keep the heat low and stir constantly. High heat will scramble the eggs, ruining the silky texture.
Finish with lemon and oil
- Remove the pot from heat.
- Stir in the 0.33 cup (80 ml) of fresh lemon juice.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper to your preference.
- The soup should taste bright and lemony, with no acidic bite.
- Drizzle in 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the extra virgin olive oil for richness, stirring gently to combine.
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Ready when: Lemon juice is fully incorporated; flavor is balanced and bright
Tip: Add lemon juice off the heat to preserve its fresh flavor and prevent any curdling of the egg mixture.
Serve with olive oil and herbs
- Ladle the hot soup into four bowls.
- Drizzle each serving with about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the remaining extra virgin olive oil.
- Garnish with fresh chopped dill if using.
- Serve immediately.
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Ready when: Soup is steaming hot in the bowl
Tip: Reserve the best olive oil for finishing—its fruity, peppery notes shine when drizzled onto the finished soup.
Good to know
Tips
- The key to smooth avgolemono is tempering the eggs: always whisk hot broth into the eggs, never the reverse.
- White pepper is traditional in Greek cooking and gives a cleaner finish than black pepper, which can leave visible specks.
- If the soup looks too thin after adding the eggs, you can simmer it over low heat for 2–3 minutes longer, stirring gently—the broth will continue to thicken slightly.
- This soup is naturally gluten-free, making it a great option for those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
Make ahead
The broth can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat gently before poaching the chicken. However, assemble and serve the soup fresh—the egg mixture and greens are best on the day of serving.
Storage & reheating
Avgolemono keeps refrigerated for up to 2 days in an airtight container. To reheat, gently warm it in a saucepan over low-medium heat, stirring often, until steaming. Do not boil, as high heat may break the creamy emulsion. The soup is best fresh and does not freeze well because the egg texture becomes grainy upon thawing.
Substitutions
- mixed wild greens (spinach, arugula, dandelion, or kale), packed → Baby spinach, kale, or Swiss chard. Any tender green works; heartier greens like kale may need an extra minute or two to wilt.
- short-grain white rice (arborio or sushi rice) → Orzo pasta or small ditalini. Orzo cooks in about 8 minutes; reduce the cooking time accordingly to keep the pasta from becoming mushy.
- fresh lemon juice → Fresh lime juice or white wine vinegar (use slightly less, about 3 tablespoons / 45 ml). Lime adds a different brightness; vinegar is sharper and more acidic, so taste and adjust.
- fresh dill, chopped → Fresh parsley or mint. Parsley is more neutral; mint adds unexpected freshness. Use the same amount as dill.
