Description
It just takes twenty minutes and six ingredients to make this creamy orzo chicken soup, also known as Avgolemono. It’s perfect on a cold day or when you’re feeling under the weather.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 cups good chicken broth
- 3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (see note)
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Bring broth to a boil in a five-quart pot, covered, over high heat. Add orzo and simmer briskly, still covered, until al dente (a couple minutes shy of package directions). Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the eggs well with a fork. Beat in lemon juice and set aside.
- When orzo is just cooked, ladle out about a cup of hot broth into a measuring cup with a spout. Slowly pour hot broth into bowl with eggs and lemon juice, whisking constantly with a fork. This process tempers the eggs so they don’t scramble when you add them to the pot.
- Stir chicken and spinach into soup pot and simmer for a minute or two until spinach is wilted. Reduce heat until broth is no longer bubbling. Stir egg mixture into soup and cook over low heat for a minute or two, until broth looks creamy and is slightly thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste and ladle soup into serving bowls.
- If you need to reheat leftovers, do so gently and without boiling.
Notes
Use rotisserie or leftover chicken, or quickly sauté a pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a little olive oil while you bring the broth to a boil.
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Italian