Avgolemono Soup

I'm not 100% sure how to correctly pronounce the name of this soup, but man is it good! Back in my Small Boston Kitchen today I was looking for something comforting to ward off the cold that I can feel coming on (thank you ever changing Boston weather; almost 50 degrees one day and freezing cold and snowing the next.) I wanted something super simple to make but also felt the urge to try something new. That's when this soup came to mind.

I remember the first time I had Avgolemono soup. I was at Steve's on Newbury Street (one of the best Greek restaurants I've ever been to) and it was love at first bite. There really isn't much to this soup, it's a chicken based soup with lemon and dill. But the real magic starts to happen when you temper in 2 eggs. (Tempering is the art of slowly introducing eggs to a hot substance in a special way so that you don't end up with scrambled eggs floating around in your soup.) The addition of egg transforms the soup to a rich and velvety consistency and the addition of fresh squeezed lemon make this soup the perfect thing to make on a day when you aren't feeling your best. I even made this already easy soup a little easier by using a store bought, already cooked chicken and a box of chicken broth. Traditionally, this soup is made with rice but I prefer to use orzo (a rice shaped pasta). Actual cooking time total was approximately 30 minutes and this recipe provides about four bowls of this hard to pronounce, but very delicious Greek soup. Serve with a side of warm pita bread for dipping.

Avgolemono Soup

- 1 32 oz. box of chicken stock

- About 1-1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, diced

- 2 eggs (brought to room temperature)

- About 1 tsp dry dill

- A couple pinches of oregano

- The juice from two lemons

- Salt and pepper to taste

- About a cup of cooked orzo (or rice)

Put chicken into a soup pot and add chicken broth, dill, oregano and the juice of the lemons. Put the lid on a heat the soup for about 10-15 minutes on medium low heat. In a small bowl, crack the eggs and whisk them together until they combine. To temper the eggs, continuously mix them with one hand while slowly adding a ladle full of the hot soup with the other hand. Mix for a couple of seconds. Slowly add another ladle full of soup to the egg mixture while continuously whisking the eggs. At this point, the eggs should be warmer but there should not be any bits of scrambled egg. Slowly add the egg mixture to the soup pot while continuously stirring the soup. You should immediately feel the soup start to thicken a bit. Put the cover on the soup and let it cook for at least another 10-15 minutes on low heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and add the orzo to the bowls. Serve immediately with fresh pita bread for dipping.