Lighter Greek Avgolemono Soup

Method

1. Step 1: Pat chicken breast dry with paper towels. Slice against the grain into 1/4-inch thick pieces. Season lightly with salt and set aside. This ensures even cooking and better texture.

2. Step 2: Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add diced onion and carrots, sauté for 4 minutes until onion becomes translucent and carrots begin to soften. Add garlic, cook 30 seconds until fragrant—watch for browning.

3. Step 3: Pour in chicken stock and bring to a rolling boil. Add orzo pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 8-10 minutes until orzo is al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

4. Step 4: While orzo cooks, prepare the avgolemono base. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and white pepper until slightly frothy. The mixture should be uniform with no streaks.

5. Step 5: Add sliced chicken to the pot. Cook for 3-4 minutes until chicken is just cooked through and reaches 75°C internally. You should see no pink; the pieces will turn opaque and firm.

6. Step 6: Remove pot from heat. This is critical—tempering eggs over direct high heat will cause scrambling. Ladle 1 cup of hot broth into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to prevent curding. The mixture should thicken slightly.

7. Step 7: Slowly pour the tempered egg mixture back into the soup while stirring gently in one direction. The residual heat will create a silky, creamy emulsion. The soup should appear unified, not scrambled.

8. Step 8: Stir in fresh dill. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper. Serve immediately in warmed bowls for the best texture—the soup will thicken as it sits.