Greek Avgolemono (egg lemon) Soup

Yesterday, when my daughter came down with an ear infection, I decided to make one of my favorite soups, Greek Avgolemono (Egg Lemon) Soup.  I grew up with my mom making this every time we were sick.  This soup is also a staple dish when we go eat at local Greek restaurants.  There are a couple of variations to this recipe. One variation is with carrots and celery and thickened at the end with a bit of cornstarch. The consistency is like a velvety cream of chicken soup.  The other variation (which my mother made) is without carrots or celery and the consistency is not as creamy.  Both are yummy, but we prefer our Avgolemono Soup a more thick and creamy.  Here is the recipe I used:

Ingredients:

8 cups of Organic Chicken Broth
4 cups of water
2 carrots
1 celery stalk
1 medium yellow onion
2 tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves (optional)
2 garlic cloves (optional)
1 pack of chicken thighs, chicken breast,
 or chicken tenders
Cornstarch (optional)
1/2 cup arborio rice
3 eggs (room temperature)
Juice of 1.5 lemons

Coarsely chop the carrots, celery, and onion and pulse them in a Cuisinart and finely chopped into what is  called a tritto.  Next, saute the tritto in olive oil on medium heat.  Once softened, add the chicken broth and water.  Add two bay leaves and two whole garlic cloves.  (These are optional). 

Next, add your chicken pieces.  Some people choose to make their own broth using a whole chicken.  I am usually pressed for time, and it's easier to use pre-packaged chicken broth and pre-cut chicken pieces) 

Once the chicken is cooked (half hour - 45 minutes) remove the chicken, garlic cloves, and bay leaves from the pot. Once the chicken has cooled, shred with your fingers or two forks.

Next, add  four tbsp. of cornstarch.  MAKE SURE YOU MIX THE CORNSTARCH IN WARM WATER FIRST! Then add the aborio rice.  While the rice is cooking,  beat the 3 eggs in a small bowl, and add the juice of 1.5 lemons.  Keep them handy because once the rice is cooked, you have to TEMPER the eggs.  

TEMPERING THE EGGS:

Most people of scared of this part because no one wants scrambled eggs in the soup.  The easiest way to temper eggs,  is to spoon a bit of broth into bowl of beaten eggs and lemon.  Keep beating the eggs as you spoon bits of broth in the bowl.  Next, slowly add the TEMPERED eggs into the pot.  Keep stirring the pot as you add the eggs.  

Finally you can choose to add the shredded chicken back in the pot, or you can eat it on the side.  

This soup is amazing on a cold winter day, or when ever we are under the weather.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!