Soup · 6 margin notes

Lemon Rice Soup, Tempered

Name: Lemon Rice Soup, Tempered
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 cups chicken stock; 3/4 cup long-grain rice; 2 boneless chicken thighs, optional; 3 large eggs; Juice of 2 large lemons, about 1/2 cup; 2 tablespoons butter; Salt and white pepper; Chopped dill, to serve

Where this came fromThis is our version of avgolemono, the egg-and-lemon soup eaten across Greece and the eastern Mediterranean, which exists in countless household versions. We learned it from a friend who learned it from her grandmother, and the only thing we have added is the explanation of why the tempering step works — because that is the part people get wrong and then never try again.

10 minPrep

30 minCook

40 minTotal

6Servings

Ingredients

8 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup long-grain rice
2 boneless chicken thighs, optional
3 large eggs
Juice of 2 large lemons, about 1/2 cup
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and white pepper
Chopped dill, to serve

Method, annotated

The notes in the right-hand column explain why each step is there.

Bring the stock to a simmer and add the rice. If using chicken, poach the thighs in the stock for 18 minutes, then lift out, shred, and set aside.
WhyCooking the rice directly in the stock releases starch into the liquid, which helps stabilise the egg mixture later and gives the soup body without cream.
Simmer 18 to 20 minutes until the rice is fully tender, then take the pot off the heat and let it sit 2 minutes.
Why off the heatThe pot needs to drop below boiling before the eggs go anywhere near it. Two minutes is usually enough; the soup should still steam but not bubble.
Whisk the eggs and lemon juice together in a bowl until completely smooth and slightly foamy.
Why togetherThe acid in the lemon juice raises the temperature at which the egg proteins set, which gives you a wider margin before curdling. Whisking them separately loses that.
Ladle a cup of the hot broth into the egg mixture in a thin stream, whisking hard the entire time. Repeat with a second cup.
WhyThis is tempering. Eggs set at around 160°F, and adding them straight into a hot pot takes them past that instantly. Raising their temperature gradually, while whisking, keeps them smooth.
Pour the tempered mixture back into the pot, stirring as you go, and return to low heat for 2 to 3 minutes only — it must not boil.
If you skip itThe soup splits into threads of cooked egg and there is no way back. If you see it starting to grain, pull the pot off the heat immediately.
Stir in the butter and the shredded chicken, season with salt and white pepper, and finish with dill.
Why white pepperPurely visual — black pepper speckles a pale soup. Use black if that is what you have; it tastes the same.

Keeping it

Refrigerate within two hours and eat within three days. It thickens considerably as the rice absorbs liquid, so loosen it with a splash of stock when reheating. Reheat gently over low heat and never let it boil, for the same reason you did not boil it the first time. It does not freeze well.

If you remember one thing

Take the pot off the heat before the eggs go in, not after. Every failed avgolemono we have had was a pot that was still simmering.

*Approximately 280 calories per serving. Calories are an estimate from standard ingredient databases; actual values vary by brand and portion. See our disclaimer.