Greek Lemon Soup (Avgolemono)
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Why I Love This Recipe
The name of this classic Greek soup emulsion of lemon and eggs comes from its two main ingredients: egg (avgo) and lemon juice (lemono). The key to this soup is tempering the egg and lemon mixture by slowly adding hot stock and then whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling. You then stir the mixture into the soup, which becomes all velvety lush lemony goodness. A Greek salad and warm pita bread are wonderful accompaniments to this soup.
Ingredients You'll Need
Soup:
8 cups homemade or store-bought chicken stock, divided
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 ½ cup orzo
1 dash sugar
Lemon Egg Mixture & Garnish:
4 eggs (whites and yolks separated), room temperature
3 large lemons, juiced
¼ cup finely chopped fresh dill
1 dill sprig per serving (fresh thyme, mint, or chives may be used)
4 to 6 paper-thin lemon slices (1 per serving)
Directions
To prepare the soup, bring stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Lower heat to a simmer and add salt, pepper, and orzo; cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Set aside 2 cups of stock.
To prepare the lemon-egg mixture, beat egg whites in a medium-size bowl until soft peaks form. (You can do this with a handheld mixer [on medium] or with a stand mixer.) Beat in the egg yolks and lemon juice. Pour 2 cups of reserved hot stock slowly into the lemon and egg mixture, whisking continuously until all is incorporated. Return soup to medium-low heat and whisk in lemon-egg mixture. Add chicken stock back into the soup and simmer until thickened slightly, about 20 minutes.
To serve the soup, ladle into warm bowls and garnish with white pepper, chopped dill, a dill sprig, and sliced lemon.