My aromatic lemon chicken soup is a healthy take on the traditional Greek avgolemono soup. This easy high protein soup recipe is packed with bright and fresh flavor and it is ready in just 30 minutes.
It is common knowledge that chicken soup has healing powers 😂. And, this chicken and lemon soup certainly is happiness in a bowl. It is light, comforting and always puts a smile on my face.
The secret of avgolemono soup are a combination of eggs and fresh lemon juice. This mixture does two things: It elevates flavor and thickens the soup at the same time. It is quite genius, really.
Greek lemon soup will brighten your day, whether for lunch or dinner, summer or winter.
Also try my keto chicken soup.
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What's To Love About This Recipe
Dairy-free: Chicken lemon soup is silky and rich, without a drop of cream in sight.
Low in carbs: Traditional avgolemono soup contains either rice or orzo pasta. I have swapped these starchy ingredients for cauliflower rice. This not only counts towards your five-a-day, it also means that one bowl of soup is only 6.1g net carbs.
High protein soup: Each portion contains over 30 grams of protein, thanks to both the chicken and the eggs.
Quick and easy: 5 minutes of prep, and a warming, delicious meal on the table within 30 minutes. Family-friendly, too!
Ingredients
Let's talk ingredients for our keto Greek chicken soup. You'll find exact quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but I wanted to give you a bit of extra info right here:
- Chicken - I used chicken breasts, cooked and shredded. You could rotisserie chicken or the leftovers from your Sunday roast. You can also use raw chicken breasts. I have tested this with mini chicken fillets, which worked very well.
- Vegetables - We are starting off with a mirepoix made from onion, carrot, celery and garlic. They lend flavor to any good soup or sauce. We'll also need cauliflower rice. You can make this yourself by pulsing cauliflower florets in a food processor or with a box grater. Or, save time like me and simply use frozen cauliflower rice.
- Herbs - Fresh herbs elevate any dish. I do not recommend replacing the dill and parsley with dried herbs.
- Eggs - Make the soup creamy without the need to use heavy cream.
- Lemon juice - Has to be fresh!
Instructions
It is simple to make a low carb Greek chicken lemon soup. Here are the basic steps.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed version with timings, ingredient amounts and nutrition information.
STEP 1
Sautè vegetables: In a large soup pan or dutch oven, heat olive oil on a medium heat. Saute the onion, carrots and celery until softened. Then, add the garlic for a further minute.
STEP 2
Broth, chicken and cauli rice: Add chicken broth and bay leaves and bring to the boil. Add the shredded chicken and let it simmer to soften. Then, add the cauliflower rice.
STEP 3
Prepare the lemon egg sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and eggs. While whisking, add a ladle or two of the soup broth into the bowl. This tempers the eggs by warming them slowly.
STEP 4
Finish the soup: Slowly pour the egg mixture back into the chicken soup, stirring continuously. Continue simmering the soup while you stir, until the soup thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Katrin's Top Tips
Perfect avgolemono sauce: The secret is to POUR SLOW AND WHISK FAST. While you can use a balloon whisk for the sauce, using an electric whisk is even better. This way, you can whisk easily while slowly pouring the hot chicken broth into the egg lemon mixture.
Gentle simmer: Never bring the soup back to the boil after you have added the eggs! This could make the eggs curdle. Rather, simmer it on a low heat.
Adjust lemon: We all have different ideas about how much lemon taste is just right. Start with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice if you are uncertain, and add more to taste if you like it zingy. There is no right or wrong!
Variations
Arborio rice or orzo pasta - As mentioned above, the classic Greek avgolemono soup contains rice or orzo (a pasta that looks like rice). If you are not concerned about carbs, omit the cauliflower and try the soup the traditional way.
Feta Cheese - Crumble feta cheese over the soup just before serving. The tanginess of the cheese works really well in lemon soup.
Turkey - A tasty alternative to chicken. If you have turkey to use up, feel free to add it in this recipe. Check out my keto turkey soup, too!
Oregano - This traditional Greek herb pairs well with lemon and chicken soup. Especially nice when the oregano is fresh and not dried.
Serving Suggestion
I love decorating my soups to make them look and taste even better. I garnish this one with dill and parsley, add a few lemon slices and also a swirl of extra virgin olive oil or a knob of butter.
Serve it with my keto pita bread!
Recipe FAQs
Avgolemono is Greek and translates into "egg-lemon". It is a popular Greek sauce made with lemon, eggs and chicken broth. It is poured over cooked vegetables and also tastes great with fish dishes.
If you don't have cooked chicken, add raw chicken breasts directly into the pot after sauteeing the vegetables. I did this with mini chicken fillets. Pour over the broth, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Then, put the cooked chicken breasts on a plate and shred with two forks. Add them back to the pot and proceed with the recipe.
Yes. Note that bone in chicken thighs take longer to cook than chicken breasts. I would cook them in the broth first. Then, start the recipe as described in the recipe card.
Traditionally, avgolemono soup is made with the entire egg. I also like that I don't waste the egg whites and add more protein to my diet. But, if you are concerned about the egg whites curdling, omit the whites and use only the yolks.
Storage
Fridge: Greek lemon soup stays fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. That said, it is not the best soup for meal prepping in large batches. Every time you reheat, the cauliflower rice will become softer.
Freezer: You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. I like to freeze my soup in single servings so I have a quick lunch or dinner ready to go.
Reheating: Take care to reheat keto avgolemono soup slowly and do not boil it. This way, the egg white does not curdle and the soup stays glossy and thick.
More Easy Soup Recipes
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Recipe
Healthy Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Keto Avgolemono)
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion diced small (60g)
- 1 carrot diced small, ½ cup (60g)
- 2 celery ribs diced small, ½ cup (60g)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken 14 oz, 400g, or use 3-4 raw small chicken breasts, skinless
- 4 cups chicken broth 960ml
- 2 cups cauliflower rice 300g, I used frozen
- 2 eggs large, room temperature
- 4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice about 1 lemon, or more, to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
To Serve
- fresh dill and parsley finely chopped
- lemon slices
Instructions
- Sautè vegetables: In a large soup pan, heat olive oil on a medium heat. Saute the onion, carrots and celery for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, for 1 minute.
- Add broth and chicken: Add the chicken broth and bay leaves and bring to the boil. Add the shredded chicken or the raw fillets and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. (If you cooked the chicken from scratch, remove the fillets now and shred them with 2 forks. Then, add them back to the soup.)
- Add cauliflower rice: Add the cauliflower rice for a further 3 minutes.
- Prepare the lemon egg sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and room temperature eggs. Use a balloon whisk or, even better, an electric mixer. While whisking, slowly add 1-2 ladles of the soup broth into the bowl. This tempers and warms up the eggs so they don't curdle.
- Finish the soup: Slowly, pour the egg mixture to the chicken soup, stirring continuously. Let the soup simmer for a further 3 minutes or until it thickens slightly. Stir regularly and don't let it boil.
- Season and serve: Season with salt and pepper to taste and add more lemon juice if desired. Garnish with fresh dill and parsley, lemon slices and a splash of olive oil or knob of butter.
Den
Scrummy beautiful soup made wth a little extra lemon and the rind , a keeper
angelika
This is an incredible soup with straight forward ingredients but when combined, zesty light and very flavoursome and unusual. Part of our staple recipes now! Delicious!
Katrin Nürnberger
So happy you enjoyed the soup!
Sophia
WOW this soup really was rich and creamy! Loved it! Thank you Katrin