Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono)

Why This Is Strictly Keto

Avgolemono means “egg-lemon” — the soup is thickened the traditional Greek way, by tempering whisked eggs and fresh lemon juice into hot broth until it turns silky and pale gold. The only carb-heavy part of a classic bowl is the rice or orzo simmered in it. Swapping in riced cauliflower keeps the same look and bite with almost no starch. Everything else — chicken, broth, eggs, lemon, a little onion and carrot — is naturally low-carb whole food.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 small carrot, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie or poached thighs)
• 2 1/2 cups riced cauliflower
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill or parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Soften the vegetables: Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

2. Simmer: Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil. Add the riced cauliflower and simmer 6-8 minutes, until tender. Stir in the shredded chicken and warm through. Reduce the heat to low.

3. Make the avgolemono: In a bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy, then whisk in the lemon juice. Slowly ladle about 2 cups of the hot broth into the egg mixture a little at a time, whisking constantly, to temper it.

4. Finish: Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the pot, stirring gently. Cook over low heat 2-3 minutes, stirring, until the soup thickens slightly and turns creamy. Do not let it boil or the eggs will curdle.

5. Serve: Season with salt and pepper, stir in the fresh dill, and serve hot with extra lemon wedges.

Nutritional Info (per serving, approximate)

Tips

• Take the pot off the heat before adding the tempered eggs if you’re nervous about curdling — the residual heat is enough to thicken it.
• Use fresh lemon juice only; bottled juice tastes flat and dull here.
• The soup thickens as it cools; loosen leftovers with a splash of broth when reheating gently.