Soupe œuf-citron grecque (Avgolemono)

Simmer the broth

Put the chicken, water, onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam that rises, then lower the heat and simmer gently until the chicken is fully cooked through (no pink near the bone, juices clear).

• 1.5 kg chicken pieces
• 2.5 litres water
• 1 onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : the chicken is cooked through and the broth smells rich and savoury

Strain and shred

Lift out the chicken and set it aside to cool a little. Strain the broth through a sieve into a clean pot, discarding the vegetables and bay leaves. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and bones and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.

✅ C'est prêt quand : the broth is clear and the chicken is shredded, skin and bones discarded

Cook the rice

Bring the strained broth back to a boil over medium heat. Add the rice, lower the heat slightly and simmer until the rice is tender but not mushy.

• 150 g short-grain rice

✅ C'est prêt quand : the rice grains are soft all the way through

Temper the eggs

In a bowl, whisk the eggs until foamy, then whisk in the lemon juice. Ladle in about a cup of the hot broth very slowly, whisking the whole time, to warm the eggs gradually. This step is the secret of avgolemono: warming the eggs slowly stops them from scrambling when they meet the hot soup.

• 3 eggs
• 80 ml lemon juice

Combine off the heat

Take the pot off the heat completely, this is important so the eggs do not curdle. Slowly pour the warmed egg-lemon mixture into the soup, stirring constantly, then stir in the shredded chicken. Return the pot to very low heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring, just to warm everything through without ever letting it boil (a hard boil will turn the silky soup grainy).

✅ C'est prêt quand : the soup is warmed through, silky and lightly thickened, with no sign of bubbling

Season and rest

Taste and season with extra salt and white pepper as needed. Let the soup sit for about 5 minutes off the heat, it will thicken slightly more as it rests. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with chopped dill if using.

• to taste white pepper
• 2 tbsp dill

✅ C'est prêt quand : the soup has a thick, velvety texture that coats the back of a spoon