Avgolemono Soup -- Madness Kingdom

Method

Step 1

Pour the chicken broth into a large pot and bring it to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.

Step 2

Add the whole chicken breasts, carrot, and celery. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.

Step 3

Lift the chicken out with tongs and set it on a plate to cool. Leave the broth simmering.

Step 4

Add the rice to the simmering broth and cook 15 minutes, until the rice is tender. Stir once or twice so it does not stick to the bottom.

Step 5

While the rice cooks, shred the cooled chicken into bite-size pieces with two forks. Set aside.

Step 6

When the rice is done, turn off the heat under the pot. The broth must stop boiling before the next step, or the eggs will scramble.

Step 7

Make the avgolemono: in a bowl, whisk the eggs hard for 1 minute until frothy, then whisk in the lemon juice until smooth.

Step 8

Temper the eggs: while whisking constantly, slowly ladle about 1 cup of the hot broth into the egg mixture in a thin stream. This warms the eggs gently so they do not curdle.

Step 9

Add a second ladle of hot broth the same way, whisking the whole time, until the egg mixture is warm to the touch.

Step 10

Slowly pour the tempered egg mixture back into the pot while stirring the soup constantly. The soup will turn pale, creamy, and slightly thickened.

Step 11

Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir in the salt and pepper. Warm the soup over low heat for 2 minutes, but do not let it boil or it may separate.

Step 12

Taste and add more lemon or salt as you like, then ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh dill. Serve hot.

Tips from the test kitchen

Take the pot off the boil before adding the eggs; boiling liquid will curdle them instantly.
Tempering the eggs slowly with hot broth is the key to a smooth, creamy soup.

Avgolemono Soup