Avgolemono Soup

This is a really good Greek Soup!!  My girls just love it as I do.  If you like your soup on the thick side, you can add two tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in a bit of warm water to the broth before adding the egg-lemon mixture.  Also, if you don't have time to prepare the chicken as the recipe describes, you can purchase a hot cooked one at your grocery store and debone it and add it to chicken broth.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, about 3 1/2 lbs. with excess fat trimmed and breast skin removed
• 12 cups water
• 2 carrots cut in half
• 2 celery stalks, cut in half
• 1 large onion, peeled and cut in half
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 whole black peppercorns
• 2 T McCormacks Spiced Mediterranean Sea Salt
• 1/2 cup orzo pasta, or rice
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon zest
• Juice of two lemons, strained

Directions:

Add first eight ingredients to a large stockpot. Bring the water to a rapid boil, lower heat to medium low and simmer partially covered for approximately an hour to an hour and a half.

Remove the chicken and vegetables to a bowl and carefully strain the broth through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Return the strained broth to the stockpot and bring to a boil.

Add the orzo pasta and cook, uncovered for approximately 10 – 12 minutes until tender.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the egg-lemon mixture. Using a whisk beat the eggs until nice and frothy. Add the lemon zest and the lemon juice in a steady stream while continuing to whisk.

When the pasta has finished cooking, turn off the heat. Ladle about two cups of broth into a bowl or large measuring cup. Slowly add the hot broth to the egg-lemon mixture while continuing to whisk. This will temper the eggs and prevent them from curdling once they are added to the hot broth.

Stir the egg-lemon mixture into the pot and heat over very low heat for approximately 5 -10 minutes until heated through. Be careful not to boil the soup once the eggs have been added.