Chicken Soup With Leeks and Lemon Recipe (2024)

By Martha Rose Shulman

Chicken Soup With Leeks and Lemon Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour 10 minutes
Rating
4(1,058)
Notes
Read community notes

This is inspired by both the classic Greek soup avgolemono and Scottish co*ckaleekee. Start with a flavorful chicken or turkey broth, simmer leeks and rice or bulgur in the soup until tender, then enrich with eggs and lemon. The trick here is to begin with a flavorful stock and not to allow the eggs to curdle when you combine the soup and the avgolemono sauce. You can make a vegetarian version of this using a garlic broth or by making a robust vegetable stock using the dark leafy parts of the leeks.

Featured in: Leeks in White Wine

Learn: How to Make Soup

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • 2quarts chicken or turkey stock, preferably homemade
  • 1pound leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and sliced thin
  • cup rice or coarse bulgur (to taste)
  • 4large eggs, at room temperature
  • Fresh juice of 2 lemons, strained, or about 6 to 8 tablespoons, to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Chopped fresh parsley or dill for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

276 calories; 8 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 16 grams protein; 1113 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Chicken Soup With Leeks and Lemon Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Combine the stock and leeks, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add the rice or bulgur, and continue to simmer until the grain is cooked through, 15 to 30 minutes. Taste and adjust salt.

  2. Step

    2

    Beat together the eggs and lemon juice until frothy in a medium bowl.

  3. Step

    3

    Just before serving, making sure that the broth isn’t boiling, gradually add 2 cups to the egg and lemon mixture while beating vigorously with a whisk to prevent the eggs from curdling. Turn off the heat under the soup, pour the egg-lemon mixture into the soup, stir well and serve, adding a bit of pepper to each bowl and garnishing with chopped fresh parsley or dill.

Tip

  • Advance preparation: You can make this soup through Step 1 several hours before serving, but the grain will continue to absorb liquid; if you do make it ahead, use ½ cup instead of ⅔ cup.

Ratings

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1,058

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Cooking Notes

Kristin

This is delicious and simple. I added cooked, shredded chicken to make it a meal.

Hannah

Delish but I should have added way less rice than this recipe suggested. It turned into a very tasty faux risotto, but I would have preferred soup! If I make it again, I'll use half broth, half water and add white wine.

Natasha

Juice of two lemons much too much — even 1.5 juicy ones overwhelmed the flavor of everything else. Would do with one next time and serve with wedges for people who wanted a bit more.We used 1/2 cup of orzo - more or less the right amount and the texture was great.

Mike D in NC

I use Orzo instead of rice and I usually add some cubed chicken thighs but all in all this recipe makes a delicious, satisfying soup. Don't be afraid to mess with it though. Some Parsley or Tarragon, a bit more lemon or zest, a bit of garlic or minced, caramelized onion. There are as many variations as there are Greek cooks!

Nicole

This a great soup! I made a couple tweaks: sweat the leeks in a little butter for a few minutes, add some white wine before the broth, and throw in a parm rind . Amazing!

kccook

You pour two cups of the soup into the egg/lemon mixture while whisking, then turn off the heat under the remaining soup and pour the egg/lemon/soup mixture that you just whisked together into the soup. Hope this helps--it's done this way to prevent the eggs from curdling.

Liz

Delicious surprise. Used 1/4 cup of juice from lemons in our tree. Used a mix of veggie and chicken stock concentrate. No problems with curdling. The soup came out silky smooth with just the right amount of lemon.

Sarah

This was lovely. Sautéed the leaks with garlic for a few minutes to start. Used brown jasmine rice and added rotisserie chicken. Added lots of chopped parsley and dill at the end. Perfect for a cold night.

lblalock

Absolutely delicious and quick recipe. I used quinoa instead of rice, and it turned out great. As suggested, a few sprigs of dill pair great with soup!

Patricia

I have made this recipe several times and always get rave reviews from my sick buddies! Plan on making it again today,save some for me and deliver it to friends in need of a helping hand. Have lemons to be picked and used as well,win/win.

Catina

Very good. Saute leeks with minced clove of garlic. Boneless skinless thighs. Used both dill and parsley and had some green tops from scallions left from breakfast - probably just dill next time. Used immersion blender to temper the eggs, and it worked perfectly

A&W cook

2.15.2024. Another delicious chicken soup! Used ~6 c. homemade broth, 2 c. frozen previously prep’ed leeks (wt. ~6 oz.), 1/2 c. Basmati rice, 3 T. lemon juice. Poached 2 chix thighs in broth first, shredded, salt/pepper added back ~1 while whisking egg/lemon. Just the right texture…the leeks melted into the broth. (Remaining chix for curry chix salad.)

Simon Greedwell

Big hit! Neither store I went to had leeks, so I subbed red onion, vidalia, fennel and garlic. Probably not exactly the same, but it was good. Definitely curdled the egg, so it looked disgusting!! Tasted great.

Emma Petrin

Added:- 1 small head of Napa cabbage - Parmesean rind - bulb of garlic - used 3/4 cup of orzo instead of rice Started off with sautéing leeks and cabbage with 2 cloves of garlic for about 2 min Added chicken broth, Parmesean rind, and bulb of garlic with stem cut offThe rest is to the recipe! Delicious!!

CC

Tasty. Added 3 small chicken cutlets. Use whole pack next time.

cynthia t

Made this once and it was pretty good with chicken added. made it again for thanksgiving lunch, without chicken and following the recipe. Not good! It was bitter and the lemon was too much. Will switch for another recipe but word to the wise, I would add the lemon to the soup so it cooks and dilutes a little more rather than the egg.

Doug R

Sweated the leaks in butter as someone suggested and use a small amount of orzo. Didn’t add back any of the chicken meat. Served with toasted baguette Gruyère sandwiches. Really wonderful.

Kate

Simmered one skin-on chicken thigh for 20 minutes with the leeks then removed it and took a bath with an aperitif (Carpano Antica vermouth, ice, lavender Epsom salts) while number four coarse bulgur simmered for 30 minutes. Stirred in a bunch of fresh radish greens I had on hand to wilt at the end while mixing up the lemon and egg. Served over Greek barley rusks with a bit of olive oil. Easy and excellent and approved of by Greek spouse. Avoglemono soups are always so great when you have a cold!

Kate

forgot to say, removed chicken skin when adding shredded chicken back in but kept it on while it cooked as it added yummy fat/flavor to store-bought chicken broth (the paste kind).

Caitlin

This recipe was so easy and delicious. Minimal prep and hands off cooking. I’ve never used egg to thicken a soup like this, and I’m so impressed with the results.

Drew P

Made a half portion and took advice from this thread to add 1 cup water to the stock and reduced rice to .25 cup. I liked it but next time would reduce the cook time with the leeks to half—they had practically dissolved by the end—and reduce the lemon.

mamasaurus

wonderful soup - my nephew is my biggest cook fan and I gave him a container after his basketball game and I got more raves - loved it

Ed

The recipe is flawed big time. It says to add 6-8 T (juice of two lemons) "to taste" First it's way too much lemon and I love lemon. Second, it calls to add the lemon to the raw egg well before it's in the soup. You can not taste it in the egg mixture to gauge if it's the right flavor. I believe it would be a good soup but try 1-2 T and add more later after it's in the soup if necesary.

ariane pevide

Used fregola and was great!Maybe would have used a bit less lemon - but just because of my taste.Great tip on how mixing the eggs so it doesnt curdle

SuzyK

But can it be reheated with the eggs in it?

Kelly

Recipe came together easily and relatively quickly in the grand scheme of soup. I sautéed the leeks and some garlic before adding the broth. On the advice of other commenters, I reduced the amount of rice with the intention of having leftovers, I'm glad that I did. A half cup was perfect. I also added some rotisserie chicken before adding the eggs. It seems most people felt it was too lemony, I did not find that to be the case, but I did add a hefty pat of butter at the end; it needed fat.

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Chicken Soup With Leeks and Lemon Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do you put lemon in chicken soup? ›

Lemons are a chicken soup game changer. Why? They brighten up and balance the salty, rich flavors of the dish, and make all of the ingredients come into line. Like a vinaigrette on a salad, the pickle on a burger, and the sour cream in a coffee cake, a squeeze of lemon gives chicken soup a game-changing brightness.

Should leeks be sauteed before adding to soup? ›

Sautéing leeks before adding them to the soup can enhance their flavor and bring out their sweetness. Heat some oil or butter in a pan, then add the sliced leeks. Cook them over medium heat until they become soft and slightly caramelized. This step adds depth of flavor to your soup.

Why do you put lemon juice in vegetable soup? ›

Fresh lemon juice squeezed into the soup at the very end wakens up the broth. The soup won't taste lemony, just brightened and lively. Fresh herbs and fat from a dollop of prepared pesto stirred into each bowl before serving is a real treat. I like my Vegan Pesto recipe, or Gotham Greens vegan pesto.

When should you add lemon to soup? ›

Lemon zest on the other hand, can go in along with the rest of the aromatics and vegetables, according to the recipe Ray shared. But if you want to take advantage of the brightness that lemon juice can contribute to a chicken soup, stick to adding it at the end.

What brings out the flavor in chicken soup? ›

Here are a few ideas:
  1. Add a variety of herbs and spices to the broth - try adding some oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, and cumin.
  2. Even better - add some garlic and onion for additional flavor.
  3. You can also throw in some veggies like carrots, celery, and potatoes for an added crunch.
Mar 5, 2023

Are leeks better than onions in soup? ›

Leeks have a more subtle, slightly sweeter flavor than onions. So you would use them when you want some onion flavor, but don't want it to fight with the rest of the ingredients. One of my favorite examples of this is soup made with leeks, potatoes and cod, in fish stock, finished with cream or half and half.

Why is my leek soup bitter? ›

Leeks, like onions, can become bitter if they're cooked for too long or at too high a heat. Make sure to sauté leeks over medium heat until they are soft and translucent, not browned. Another reason could be using the green parts of the leek, which are more fibrous and have a stronger flavor.

Why don't you use the green part of leeks? ›

In the US, England, and most other English-speaking areas, the dark green portion of the leek is fibrous and often has a "soapy" flavor which detracts from the flavor of the dish. It's not a good idea even to use those for vegetable stock, as the overall flavor is unpleasant.

Why lemon juice should not be heated? ›

Lemons are full of vitamin C which is extremely sensitive to heat. Doctors say that all the vital nutrients get destroyed once the juice is squeezed over hot food and so avoid it at all costs.

How to make chicken soup taste richer? ›

You might consider using more umami-forward vegetables, such as mushrooms, that also pair well with chicken to tie together the richer flavors in the dish. Alternatively, vegetables like corn, peas, and tomatoes will bring out some sweeter notes to the soup.

What is the most important ingredient in soup? ›

For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.

What not to put in soup? ›

The Worst Things to Put in Your Soup
  1. By Sara Butler. If there's one good thing about fall and winter, it's soup. ...
  2. Heavy Cream. Heavy cream creates an inviting texture for soups but that's where its positive contributions end. ...
  3. Juice. ...
  4. Turkey Bacon. ...
  5. Cheese. ...
  6. Croutons.

What gives soup the best flavor? ›

Herbs and spices add aroma, flavor, and intensity to soup broth. "Use fresh or dried basil in tomato-based recipes or fresh parsley to add freshness to clear broth soups," says Sofia Norton, RD. You can also go with more heat and spices.

How do you add depth to chicken soup? ›

A splash of vinegar or wine can add depth and complexity to the flavors of your chicken noodle soup. Try adding a small amount of apple cider vinegar or a dry white wine for a delightful tangy note. Just remember to add it gradually, tasting as you go, to avoid overpowering the soup.

What does lemon juice does to chicken? ›

The lemon also denatures proteins on the surface of the chicken, similar to how citrus "cooks" fish in ceviche. This will impart a tenderizing effect, making the chicken softer and juicier as a bonus.

What are the effects of lemon on chicken? ›

Lemon juice and vinegar are often used in marinades for meat for several reasons:
  • Acid: Both lemon juice and vinegar contain acid, which helps to break down the muscle fibers in meat, making it more tender. ...
  • Flavor: The acid in lemon juice and vinegar can also help to infuse the meat with flavor.
Jan 7, 2018

Is it good to add lemon to chicken? ›

Yes, adding lemon juice to chicken can help to make it more juicy and tender. This is because the acidity in lemon juice helps to break down the proteins in the meat, making it easier to chew and digest.

What can I use instead of lemon in chicken soup? ›

8 Clever Substitutes for Lemon Juice
  1. Lime juice. Lime juice is the best substitute for lemon juice, as it can be used as a one-to-one replacement and has a very similar taste and acidity level ( 5 ). ...
  2. Orange juice. ...
  3. Vinegar. ...
  4. Citric acid. ...
  5. Lemon zest. ...
  6. White wine. ...
  7. Lemon extract. ...
  8. Cream of tartar.
Jun 24, 2019

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