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Home » Recipes » Soup and Stew Recipes

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Egg Free)

Modified: Jan 13, 2025 by Kori Butler · Published: Oct 11, 2022

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This Greek lemon chicken soup recipe is sure to impress! It's hearty, bright, delicious, and incredibly flavorful – creamy yet not excessive or overly rich. Similar to traditional Greek avgolemono soup, this version omits the egg, making it MUCH simpler to prepare. Yay to simplicity!

a round white bowl of Greek lemon chicken soup garnished with parsley and feta.Pin

A Must-Make Greek Chicken Soup with Lemon and Orzo

Eggless Avgolemono Soup. While Greek lemon chicken soup closely resembles Avgolemono, it omits the eggs entirely. Instead of eggs, the soup's base combines chicken stock and lemon juice. The traditional method requires tempering the soup with eggs, which can be quite tedious, which is why I chose to create this version without them. You won't notice any difference at all!

Quick! When compared to the traditional Greek version of Avgolemono soup, this recipe is much faster to make. Enjoy a bowl of this delicious, tangy, indulgent soup in less than 40 minutes from start to finish!

Healthy. This high protein recipe is adaptable to suit your dietary needs. Make it keto by substituting orzo with cauliflower rice and opting for full-fat dairy and chicken thighs. Use xanthan gum as a thickener. For a lower-fat option, try fat-free half and half, chicken breast, and low-fat broth. Spinach adds veggies, and feel free to add more!

What You'll Need

ingredients needed to make greek lemon chicken soup

Here is an overview of the ingredients you will need to make this Greek lemon chicken soup:

  • Olive Oil - use any preferred oil option.
  • Onion - use yellow or white onions.
  • Celery Stalks
  • Chicken Broth - you can get the fat-free or reduced-sodium broth.
  • Fresh Lemon Juice - fresh squeezed lemon juice has the best flavor!
  • Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast - you can use shredded chicken by adding whole chicken breasts, then simmering until they are very tender and then shredding.
  • Dried Thyme - feel free to use fresh thyme in place of the dried.
  • Dried Oregano - fresh can be used instead of dried.
  • Bay Leaves - these are used during the cooking process but removed at the end before enjoying.
  • Orzo - this looks like long-grain rice but is actually a type of pasta! Very commonly used in Italian dishes and more common in soups. It's delicious!
  • Spinach - fresh spinach adds some color and fresh vegetables.
  • White Wine - any kind of dry cooking wine of your choice.
  • Half and Half - you can use any brand or fat content that you like.
  • Cornstarch or Xanthan Gum - used as a thickening agent with the half and half in the soup to give it a rich, decadent end result.

For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!

Be sure to save this pin to Pinterest for later! 😉

Pinterest pin with a white bowl full of Greek lemon chicken soup.Pin

Substitutions and Variations

  • Feel free to substitute the chicken thighs with either chicken breasts, boneless thighs, or even rotisserie chicken. Add any cooked chicken after the pasta is cooked. Let the soup simmer until the chicken is warmed through.
  • Use more vegetables such as carrots and zucchini.
  • Substitute kale for the spinach.
  • Make it keto by substituting the orzo with cauliflower rice.
  • Adjust any of the seasonings to your liking.
  • To make it even healthier, use fat-free half-and-half and low-sodium chicken broth options. If preferred, use chicken stock in place of the broth.

How To Make Greek Chicken Soup with Lemon and Orzo

Here is a brief overview for making this soup recipe. The recipe card at the bottom contains full details. Enjoy!

  1. Saute the onion and celery until soft and golden.
  2. Add broth, chicken breast, lemon juice, wine, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves.
  3. Cover and simmer to blend flavor.
  4. Add pasta and spinach and continue to cook until pasta is tender.
  5. Make the thickener and add to soup. Simmer until the desired thickness is reached.
  6. Remove bay leaves and serve.
Steps for making Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

How To Serve It

  • Garnish with fresh herbs such as thyme, chives, or parsley. It adds color and a bright flavor!
  • Top your bowl with some crumbled feta cheese, freshly grated parmesan cheese, or fresh mozzarella cheese.
  • Meal idea! Serve this delicious Greek Lemon Soup with this super popular Greek Salad! Breadsticks or some great fresh bread go perfectly with this soup as well!

Love Greek-inspired recipes? Be sure to try this Greek Salad - it's fresh and amazing, and these tasty Gyro Burgers slathered with Authentic Tzatziki Sauce. Enjoy! 🙂

Kori's Tips

  • Continue to whisk or stir your soup and watch the heat when adding the half and half. This will help reduce the chance of scorching.
  • Once your vegetables are caramelized and ready for step 2, make sure to add the chicken stock to the pan first. This process is called the deglazing process, which picks up all of the flavors from the bottom of the pan.
  • If using xanthan gum, dissolve it in oil (olive is fine) then whisk into half and half then slowly stir into the soup. Start with only ½ teaspoon and use more, if needed, in ¼ teaspoon increments. A little goes a long way.

FAQs

What does Avgolemono mean in Greek?

Avgolemono means egg-lemon, but in Greece is known as a group of family sauces thickened with chicken broth, lemon juice, and egg yolks. Very tasty to most but time-consuming when tempering egg yolks into a hot sauce.

What does lemon juice do for chicken soup?

Chicken soup has salty and savory notes, which welcome the sweet, bright tang of the lemon juice. This ingredient helps round out and cut through the dish's saltiness from start to finish.

What can I add to chicken soup to make it more flavorful?

The top three ingredients that bring much-needed flavor to chicken soup are Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and fish sauce. What these ingredients bring is either acidity or umami to this dish. These sensories both bring much-added depth and roundedness to not only chicken soup but many other dishes as well.

How To Store

To store your soup, allow it to cool, then cover it in an air-tight container and set it in the refrigerator to store for up to 4 days.

How do I reheat it?

Reheat on low in a medium sauce pot until the soup has reached your desired level of warmth.

Can I freeze it?

Cool first, then transfer to an air-tight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Remember that reheating frozen cream-based soups can be difficult because they tend to break and may need to be re-thickened.

Can I ask you a favor?

If you tried this recipe, let me know! I'd love for you to come back and give the recipe a 5 star rating and leave a review in the comments! 🙂 Let's stay connected, so please follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! Subscribe to my newsletter to get healthy fresh recipe ideas every week!

📖 The recipe.

A round bowl of lemon chicken soup garnished with feta cheese and fresh parsley.

Creamy Greek Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe

You'll love this creamy Greek lemon chicken soup recipe! It's like traditional avgolemono, but without the egg - so MUCH easier to make!
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Author Kori Butler
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Soup Recipes
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 6
Calories 289 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion (chopped)
  • 2 stalks celery (chopped)
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (cut into ½" pieces)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or, 1 tablespoon fresh)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or, 1 tablespoon fresh)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ cup uncooked orzo pasta (Keto: substitute 1 cup riced cauliflower)
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • 1 cup half and half (Keto: use full fat or heavy cream)
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch (Keto: start with ½ tsp Xanthan gum dissolved in 1 tsp olive oil.)
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Add olive oil to a large pot and preheat over medium heat. Add onion and celery and saute until golden and soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Add broth, chicken breast, lemon juice, wine, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves. Cover and reduce heat to simmer, 10 minutes.
  • Add pasta and spinach and continue to cook 10 minutes or until pasta is tender.
  • In a small bowl mix the half and half and cornstarch together. Slowly whisk into the soup. Continue to cook, stirring frequently until the soup thickens slightly.
    If using xanthan gum, dissolve it in olive oil then whisk into half and half then add to the soup. Start with only ½ teaspoon and add more, if needed, in ¼ teaspoon increments. A little goes a long way.
  • Remove the bay leaves, adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve.

Video

Kori's Tips

  • Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
  • VARIATIONS: Fat free half and half can be used to reduce fat. Chicken thighs can be substituted for breast. Feel free to add other vegetables to your soup such as carrots or zucchini.
  • MAKE IT KETO: use full fat half and half or heavy cream; use xanthan gum as the thickener; substitute riced cauliflower for the orzo.
  • TOP TIPS: Slowly whisk in the cornstarch and half and half to prevent curdling.
  • SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Adjust seasoning as needed. Serve garnished with sour cream, feta, or fresh herbs. Serve with a side of Greek Salad and breadsticks.

Nutrition

Calories: 289kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 29gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 1369mgPotassium: 770mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 4466IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 92mgIron: 2mg
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More Chicken Soup Recipes

There are so many ways to make chicken soup! Be sure to give these a try:

  • Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
  • Best French Onion Soup Recipe
  • Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Soup
  • Instant Pot Chicken Soup (Keto and Low Carb)
  • Green Enchiladas Chicken Soup (Slow Cooker + Instant Pot)
  • Chicken Enchilada Soup
  • Chicken Fajita Soup (Crockpot + Instant Pot)
  • 7 Can Taco Soup Recipe

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Image of Kori Butler Seeking Good Eats Founder

Hey there, I'm Kori.

I’m a culinary school trained chef specializing in holistic nutrition and wellness. I’ve always been a major foodie, and as I’ve aged, the full impact of my love of food—and not-necessarily-healthy eating habits—caught up to me. In an effort to make positive changes in my life (and hopefully yours, too), I created this website where I could share great-tasting, craveable, healthy recipes.

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