Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup & Cheesy Roasted Garlic Bread

An authentic Greek soup with creamy broth and spiced lemon flavors that's cozy, hearty, and is guaranteed to not only sooth the tastebuds but also the soul

My Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup (natively known as Avgolemono), has become one of my top recipes since starting this platform, and I believe that comes from the childhood memories that connect me to it. Growing up, my mom and I would order our favorite Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup from our local Greek restaurant on busy weeknights when she didn’t have time to cook. We’d enjoy a bowl of it on her rustic kitchen table, watching the nightly news. It never failed to soothe our tastebuds and souls after a busy day, and I just knew that I had to learn how to recreate it once I could no longer enjoy the luxuries of out ordering it out with my mother on demand.

This authentic Greek soup is cozy, hearty, and perfectly balanced with a rich, creamy broth and spiced lemon flavors. I’ve mastered this recipe to perfection, and it tastes exactly like the mom-and-pop Greek restaurant version. This soup pairs perfectly with some roasted cheesy garlic bread and is sure to be the delight of the evening for your friends & family.

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Servings: 8-10

Author: Elizabeth Wu

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Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup (Avgolemono) & Cheesy Roasted Garlic Bread

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 20 M

An authentic Greek soup with creamy broth and spiced lemon flavors that's cozy, hearty, and is guaranteed to not only sooth the tastebuds but also the soul

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Ingredients:

For the Soup:

• 6 carrots, diced
• 7 celery sticks, diced
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp dill
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 lb chicken breast
• 3 cups dry orzo
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 eggs
• juice of 4 lemons
• 1/2 parmesan rind
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil

For the Cheesy Roasted Garlic Bread:

• 1/2 bulb garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 6 tbsps softened butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp minced parsley
• 8 slices provolone cheese
• 4 slices sourdough bread

Instructions:

Soup Instructions:

1. Add your butter & olive oil to a pot along with the garlic & onions. Sauté until fragrant.
2. Add your carrots, celery, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, lemon zest, turmeric, & dill. Stir to combine the flavors.
3. Pour in your chicken broth, & add your chicken breasts. Bring to a boil, & reduce to medium heat for 20 minutes.
4. Remove the chicken from your soup, & shred it. I prefer to do this with my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, but you can also shred by hand!
5. In the meantime, add your orzo and Parmesan rind to the soup. Once your orzo is cooked, add your shredded chicken back into the pot. Reduce heat to low.
6. Scramble your eggs & pour in the lemon juice.
7. Temper your egg & lemon mixture by pouring ½ cup of the broth from the soup into it. Stir quickly until combined. Then, slowly add your egg/lemon/soup mixture into the pot, stirring continuously, so the egg doesn’t scramble. Make sure heat remains on low.
8. Serve with some freshly grated Parmesan, & enjoy!

Cheesy Roasted Garlic Bread Instructions:

1. Place your halved garlic bulb in foil, & drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the foil around the garlic, and bake in the oven at 400 F for 40 minutes.
2. Once the garlic is finished roasting, let it cool for 20 minutes on the counter.
3. Combine your butter & spices, and squeeze your roasted garlic into the butter. Mix!
4. Spread the garlic butter on each slice of bread, & top with 2 slices of provolone per slice.
5. Bake the slices of bread in the oven at 350 F for 5 minutes, & then broil them on high for 2 minutes. Enjoy!

Hi friend!

I hope you enjoy this comforting bowl of lemon chicken orzo soup with cheesy garlic bread! You're going to love this recipe, and so will your friends and family! :)

"So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

~1 Corinthians 13:13

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