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Chicken Avgolemono Soup


What, you may ask, is Avgolemono? It's a classic Greek sauce made by combining raw egg and lemon juice and slowly adding them to hot broth as a thickener. In this recipe the egg mixture results in a rich-tasting soup without the usual addition of heavy cream. The recipe makes enough for 2 generous servings.


Thanks again to fellow Weight Watcher member Pam for recently recommending this recipe from the Weight Watchers website. That day I happened to have all the ingredients on hand (I had roasted a chicken the night before) and whipped up dinner in no time. I particularly loved the fresh taste of the lemon, which kicks this soup up a notch. Bonus: if you have the sniffles, the aroma alone will clear your head. Think of this as chicken soup on steroids.


1 tsp. olive oil

1 large shallot (or 1 small onion) chopped

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/3 cup orzo

3/4 cup cooked, chopped chicken breast

1 large egg

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill (or 1/2 tsp. dried dill)

Black pepper to taste


In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium. Add shallots and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently.


Add the broth and orzo and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat ti a simmer, cover and cook until orzo is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.


Meanwhile, in a small bowl lightly beat the egg and lemon juice. Stir about 2 Tbsp. of the hot broth into the egg mixture. Gradually stir the egg mixture into the simmering soup and cook until the soup thickens, 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Sprinkle with the dill and black pepper.


Serving size: 2 scant cups





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