Won’t You…Be My Neighbor? “Avgolemono” (A Classic Greek Chicken ~ Lemon Soup)

Denise Gianatasio is a Northport Village resident, freelance writer and licensed agent at Signature Premier Properties in Northport. Please feel free to contact her for any advice you may need at dishinwithdenise@yahoo.com.

This classic Greek chicken soup (pronounced av.go.lemono) is also known as Greek penicillin. A heavenly, velvety chicken soup with tart lemon, egg yolks, and orzo. It was an absolute favorite of mine as a child—made with love by my backdoor Greek neighbor, “Theia Betty” (Theia meaning auntie in Greek.)  I fondly recall her walking through the backyard bringing our family a pot of this aromatic, tangy, yellow, and delectable soup. Often, she’d invite us kids inside on those cold sleigh riding days, to warm up our tummies and soothe our souls. It was the perfect fix before heading back outdoors to play for many more hours in the fluffy snow. She was a good neighbor! Avgolemono, literally meaning eggs and lemon, is loved by the Greek culture and considered to be their signature version of chicken soup. This tasty twist on classic chicken soup has a unique combination of ingredients which makes it smooth and comforting. It’s perfect to share with your family or your neighbors and is certain to put a smile on their face! Speaking about good neighbors…I am reminded of the late great, Mr. Fred Roger’s, and his message of kindness, empathy, and neighborly love. While we all get wrapped up in everyday life, we may not see our neighbors as often as we’d like. If that’s the case, go check on them by bringing a nice pot of this delightful soup, which is bound to brighten their day.
As Mr. Rodgers would say, “It’s such a good feeling…a very good feeling…the feeling you know that we are friends”. So, make it a beautiful day in the neighborhood, prepare some soup, and bring joy!
xoxo  Your friend & neighbor, Denise

Ingredients & Prep

1 large diced Vidalia onion
4 green scallions sliced thin
¾ cup tiny diced celery
¾ cup tiny diced carrots
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 bay leaves
¾ cup lemon juice
2 1/2 large cans of College Inn chicken stock
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (4 large boneless breasts)
2 large eggs beaten
2 large egg yolks beaten
2 lemons zested for garnish
Fresh dill for garnish
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup uncooked orzo or Arborio rice

In a large pot, sauté all onions until soft. Add celery, carrots, bay leaves and spices. Add 4 boneless chicken breasts and sauté a couple minutes on both sides.
Add chicken stock and cook on medium heat for 25-30 minutes.  Turn soup off. Remove breasts to plate and let cool. Remove bay leaves. Shred chicken with fork when cool and put aside.  Bring soup to a boil and add the orzo. Lower heat and cook until done (about 20 minutes). Add shredded chicken back into soup.
To prepare avgolemono sauce: Beat eggs with lemon juice until well mixed. While whisking, add a ladle of your soup to mixture as you continually blend quickly with wire whisk. Then, add another ladle and continue to whisk (this is called tempering the sauce so you don’t scramble your eggs). Add the sauce to your big pot and immediately remove pot from heat, ensuring that your eggs and soup don’t separate. Taste for your desired tartness. Lastly, garnish each bowl with lemon zest and fresh dill.