So I don’t know about you, but just about everyone, including myself has had this gross winter cold. Sore throat, stuffy nose, chest congestion, stay up all night because you can’t sleep, cold. And it’s gross. Thankfully I’m getting over it, but anytime I have that cold, this is a staple. In many Greek circles it’s called “Greek Penicillin.” The lemon helps with the throat, the warm broth helps with congestion, and all the veggies, chicken, egg, and rice help feed your body. It’s delicious! It’s definitely not your traditional chicken noodle soup though. Lemon and dill are typically not staples in your everyday chicken noodle. I’ve adapted this from traditional Greek Avgolemono soup to better fit many dietary restrictions. Traditionally, Avgolemono soup is made with orzo, which I’ve subbed for rice. The best part about this lemony soup is the creaminess the eggs give to it. It leaves you wanting more, and when you’re sick, that’s ideally what you need to be doing, feeding that cold! And it’s quick and easy if you chop everything in the food processor, it can be simmering on the stove in 10 minutes. So grab a big pot and serve this up to all your friends and loved ones who are currently suffering from that winter cold!
Ingredients:
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces
- 4 stalks of celery, finely chopped
- 3 medium sized carrots, chopped
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 1 heaping tablespoon of dried dill (can also use 2-3 T chopped up fresh dill)
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 2 – 32oz containers of chicken broth
- 3-4 dried bay leaves
- 1.5 cups water
- Zest of one lemon
- Juice of three lemons
- 2 large eggs
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons butter
Optional Garnish: Fresh dill, drizzle of olive oil, or fresh cracked black pepper.
Instructions:
**This is a lot easier if you use a food processor to chop everything except the chicken.** In a large pot, heat on medium high-heat. Melt butter in pot. Add chopped onions, garlic, and dried dill, sauté until onions are translucent. Add chopped chicken, sauté until no longer pink. Add celery and carrots. Stir everything for 2-3 minutes. Add uncooked rice, bay leaves, chicken broth, lemon zest, and water to pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 30 minutes or until rice is cooked. In food processor (or in bowl), put juice of three lemons and crack two large eggs. Puree or mix until well combined and frothy. Once rice has cooked in soup, reduce heat to low and spoon out hot broth and slowly drizzle and whisk into egg/lemon mix. Slowly combine and whisk continuously to avoid cooking/scrambling eggs. Once you’ve combined about a cup of hot broth into the egg/lemon mixture, begin incorporating it into the whole pot of soup, slowly adding lemon/egg/broth mixture and mixing soup vigorously. Cook for about 5 more minutes on low, or until soup begins to get creamy and velvety. Serve immediately, garnish, and enjoy!
