This is our lightened, weeknight version of avgolemono, the beloved Greek soup where eggs and lemon are whisked into hot chicken broth until it turns silky and pale gold. It tastes rich and restorative — the kind of bowl you want when the weather turns or the week has been long — yet it lands squarely in our Healthy and Low-Carb collection because we swap the traditional rice for cauliflower rice, which disappears into the broth exactly the way rice does.
The one technique that matters is tempering: hot broth is whisked gradually into the egg-lemon mixture so the eggs thicken the soup instead of scrambling in it. It sounds fussy and takes ninety seconds; the step-by-step below walks you through it calmly. Done right, the soup coats the spoon like a light cream sauce without a drop of cream in the pot.
If you enjoy this style of lighter comfort soup, our Low-Carb Chicken and Corn Soup follows the same philosophy, and the soup reheats so well that we often double it for lunches. Serve it with lemon wedges at the table — everyone seasons their own bowl a little differently, and that small ritual is part of the pleasure.
Tempering, without the fear
Eggs curdle when they meet sudden heat; tempering is simply introducing them to the heat gradually. Whisk the eggs and lemon juice until foamy, then add hot broth one ladle at a time, whisking constantly, until the egg mixture itself feels warm to the touch. At that point it can go back into the pot safely. The second rule follows from the first: once the egg mixture is in, the soup must never boil again. Keep it at the barest simmer, steaming but still, and it will stay silky. A hard boil is the only way this soup goes wrong.
Why cauliflower rice works here
Traditional avgolemono uses a small amount of rice mostly as body, not as the main event — and cauliflower rice does that same quiet job with far fewer carbohydrates. Stirred in near the end, it softens into the broth and becomes nearly invisible, thickening each spoonful slightly. Use fresh or frozen riced cauliflower interchangeably; frozen needs two extra minutes. If your household is not watching carbs, ordinary cooked rice is the classic swap — stir in 1 1/2 cups cooked rice (about 280 g) instead, with our blessing.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about 150 g)
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced (about 100 g)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 9 g)
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth (1.9 L)
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (450 g)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (2 g)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (6 g), plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1.5 g)
- 2 cups riced cauliflower, fresh or frozen (about 220 g)
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (80 ml), from about 2 lemons, plus wedges to serve
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or parsley (8 g)
Amounts are for the yield below. US customary measures first, grams in brackets for scale users.
Step-by-step instructions
- Build the base. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the onion and celery for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and translucent but not browned. Stir in the garlic for the last 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Poach the chicken. Pour in the broth and add the chicken breasts whole, along with the oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer — not a rolling boil, which toughens chicken — and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165°F (74°C). Lift the chicken onto a board, rest it for 5 minutes, then shred it with two forks into bite-size pieces.
- Add the cauliflower rice. Return the pot to a simmer and stir in the riced cauliflower. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes (5 minutes from frozen), until just tender. It should soften into the broth rather than stay crunchy. Turn the heat down to low.
- Temper the eggs and lemon. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until pale and foamy, then whisk in the lemon juice. Still whisking constantly, slowly ladle in about 2 cups (480 ml) of the hot broth from the pot, one ladle at a time, until the egg mixture is warm and thinned. This is the tempering step that keeps the soup silky.
- Finish the soup off the boil. Pour the warm egg-lemon mixture back into the pot in a slow stream, stirring the soup gently the whole time. Keep the heat low and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until the broth turns opaque, pale gold and slightly thickened — steaming hot but never boiling. Stir the shredded chicken back in and warm it through for 1 minute.
- Season and serve. Take the pot off the heat. Taste carefully: it should be bright with lemon and well salted, so add salt a pinch at a time and another squeeze of lemon if it tastes flat. Ladle into warm bowls, scatter with dill or parsley, and serve with lemon wedges alongside.
Nutrition estimate
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 240 kcal |
| Protein | 29 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7 g |
| Fat | 10 g |
| Saturated fat | 2 g |
| Sodium | 590 mg |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
Nutrition figures are estimates calculated from standard ingredient data for the yield stated. Your actual values will vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes — treat them as a guide, not a guarantee.
Storage & reheating
Leftovers keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat very gently on the stove over low heat, stirring often, and never let the soup boil — boiling can curdle the egg-thickened broth and turn it grainy. For the same reason we do not recommend freezing this soup; the lemon-egg broth separates on thawing. If you want a freezer batch, freeze the chicken soup base before the eggs and lemon go in, then temper and finish it fresh when you reheat. Nutrition figures are estimates from standard ingredient data and vary with brands and substitutions.
Easy Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
Silky, lemony and light — the classic Greek chicken soup, made weeknight-easy and low-carb.
Ingredients
Tick ingredients off as you prep, and tap a step below to mark it done as you cook. Scaling adjusts the listed amounts - seasoning to taste stays your call.
Instructions
- Build the base. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the onion and celery for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and translucent but not browned. Stir in the garlic for the last 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Poach the chicken. Pour in the broth and add the chicken breasts whole, along with the oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer — not a rolling boil, which toughens chicken — and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165°F (74°C). Lift the chicken onto a board, rest it for 5 minutes, then shred it with two forks into bite-size pieces.
- Add the cauliflower rice. Return the pot to a simmer and stir in the riced cauliflower. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes (5 minutes from frozen), until just tender. It should soften into the broth rather than stay crunchy. Turn the heat down to low.
- Temper the eggs and lemon. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until pale and foamy, then whisk in the lemon juice. Still whisking constantly, slowly ladle in about 2 cups (480 ml) of the hot broth from the pot, one ladle at a time, until the egg mixture is warm and thinned. This is the tempering step that keeps the soup silky.
- Finish the soup off the boil. Pour the warm egg-lemon mixture back into the pot in a slow stream, stirring the soup gently the whole time. Keep the heat low and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until the broth turns opaque, pale gold and slightly thickened — steaming hot but never boiling. Stir the shredded chicken back in and warm it through for 1 minute.
- Season and serve. Take the pot off the heat. Taste carefully: it should be bright with lemon and well salted, so add salt a pinch at a time and another squeeze of lemon if it tastes flat. Ladle into warm bowls, scatter with dill or parsley, and serve with lemon wedges alongside.
Tested in the FryDaily kitchen, October 2026. Printing? This card is designed to print cleanly on its own.
