Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more/less to taste)
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 3/4 cup uncooked orzo
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie works great)
- fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons), plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- extra lemon wedges (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté for 5–6 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Simmer the soup. Add the chicken broth and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Stir in the orzo, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is just tender.
- Add the chicken. Stir in the shredded chicken and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and keep the soup hot but not simmering.
- Prepare the avgolemono. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Whisk in the lemon juice. While whisking constantly with one hand, very slowly ladle about 1½ cups of the hot broth with your other hand into the egg mixture to gently temper it.
- Finish the soup. Slowly pour the tempered egg-lemon mixture back into the pot, stirring constantly. Cook over low heat for 2–3 minutes, until the soup is silky and lightly thickened. Do not let it boil.
- Finish and serve. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the fresh dill and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with more lemon juice, salt, and pepper as needed. Serve warm, topped with extra herbs, black pepper, and lemon wedges if you’d like, and enjoy!
