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Greek Lemon-Rice Soup (Avgolemono)

SERVES: 6 to 8 people PREP: 30 minutes TOTAL TIME: 1 hour

Greek Lemon-Rice Soup (Avgolemono)

SERVES: 6 to 8 people PREP: 30 minutes TOTAL TIME: 1 hour

This hearty, lemony soup is perfect for cold, rainy weather.

When does a food phase become a way of life? ’Cuz lately, I can’t get enough of all things Greek. (I think my former feta aversion had influenced my POV on the whole Greek cuisine situation, but I’ve come around in the most obsessed way.) I even convinced (okay, begged) one of my closest friends to acquire one of my favorite pasta dishes, pastitsio, while she was in Greece, and smuggle it to me, still fresh, into Mexico. Anyway, I digress. Avgolemono. Kind of the national soup of Greece. It’s a chicken soup that’s lemony, lush, perfect. You would be convinced that this velvety soup contained dairy because it’s so incredibly creamy, but it’s all thanks to eggs, which you just whisk into the broth to create a texture that never fails to amaze me. The rice’s starch adds even more creaminess. I was going to make adding the pulled chicken breast optional, but it was so delicious it became mandatory before we even finished writing this recipe down.

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INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS

2 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for garnish
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 1 pound total)
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth (or taken from the 8 cups for the soup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely minced
1 celery stalk, finely minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup long-grain white rice
5 eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
Chopped fresh dill, for garnish

Cook the chicken: Combine the garlic, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the salt, and the pepper in a small bowl, then rub the mixture all over the chicken. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 9- or 10-inch lidded skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook, trying not to move it, until golden on the bottom, about 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium, carefully add ¼ cup of the chicken broth, quickly cover the skillet, and cook another 5 minutes. Uncover, flip the chicken, add the remaining ¼ cup broth, cover again, and cook until the chicken is white all the way through when cut, about another 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let cool, uncovered, until easy to handle. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken right in the skillet with its juices and cover to keep warm.

Make the soup: Heat the olive oil over medium low heat in a 4-quart Dutch oven. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and very lightly golden (you don’t want dark edges here), 9 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 additional minute.

Add the chicken broth and salt, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then stir in the rice and return to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer vigorously, stirring once in a while, until the rice is cooked and the soup thickens, about 20 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, whisk the eggs and lemon juice in a medium bowl until blended.

Scoop 2 cups of the hot soup from the Dutch oven and, very slowly at first and whisking constantly, add it to the lemon-egg mixture (this prevents the eggs from scrambling), until the mixture is warmed and all 2 cups of soup are incorporated. Pour the mixture into the Dutch oven, stirring as you do, then add the chicken and pan juices to the pot and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to warm through. Remove from the heat and add the oregano, season to taste with additional salt, and divide among bowls. Garnish with dill and some ground pepper.