Comfort food doesn’t get better or easier than a cozy of bowl of this Slow Cooker Greek Lemon Chicken Soup! It’s creamy and satisfying with tender shredded chicken, rice or orzo pasta and it’s bursting fresh lemon flavor. This is the easiest way to make avgolemono soup and it gets rave reviews every time!

Slow cooker Greek lemon chicken soup in a white bowl

It was feeling like spring for several weeks here in CA, and now cold winter temps are back. I couldn’t be happier, because eating soup is even more enjoyable when the weather is cold!

I make a lot of soup recipes, and I especially gravitate toward some of my easy dump and go recipes like my chicken tortilla soup and turkey wild rice soup. They barely require any effort, and I don’t have to babysit them.

This Slow Cooker Greek Lemon Chicken Soup recipe, otherwise known as avgolemono, is one of my all time favorites. It’s near and dear to my heart as I’m part Greek and it takes me back to my childhood.

It can be time consuming to make, so one day when I was feeling under the weather, I decided to simply things by making it in the slow cooker.

The rest is history, and now it’s a reader favorite!

Spoonful of avgolemono soup over a slow cooker

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Greek lemon chicken soup is packed with tender chicken, rice or orzo, and a creamy broth that’s bursting with fresh lemon flavor.
  • It’s an easy, family-friendly soup recipe that’s great for meal prep.
  • It’s creamy yet dairy-free, and rice may be used to make it gluten-free as well.

Recipe ingredients

This Greek lemon chicken soup recipe is unlike any other chicken soup you’ve had. It includes eggs, which thicken the soup and also adds a rich, creamy texture in a healthier way.

Avgolemono soup ingredients

Ingredient notes

  • Chicken breast. Use skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. Bone-in breasts may be used for added flavor, but be sure to remove any bones after cooking.
  • Orzo or rice. Orzo pasta or long grain white rice may be used in this recipe. Do not use instant rice as it will cook far too quickly and turn to mush. For best results, add the orzo or pasta during the last hour of cooking to ensure that it does not overcook.
  • Eggs. The eggs are used in this avgolemono soup recipe to provide richness and creaminess to the broth, and they act as a thickener as well.
  • Chicken stock. Use homemade chicken stock or good quality bone broth to take this soup to the next level.
  • Lemon juice. Fresh lemon juice is key in this recipe for the best possible flavor. If you like your soup very lemony, add more if desired.

See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.

How to make Greek avgolemono soup

Authentic avogolemono soup can be quite time consuming to make. While this slow cooker method may not be your yia-yia’s recipe, it’s the easiest way I’ve found to make it and still achieve great results.

I truly don’t make this soup any other way, and it gets great reviews as well!

Pro tip: Add the orzo pasta or rice to the pot during the last hour of cooking to ensure that it does not overcook.

See the recipe card below for full instructions.

How to make avgolemono soup
  1. Add the chicken, onion, garlic, celery and broth to the slow cooker and cook for 3 hours on high or 4 – 4 1/2 hours on medium. Add the rice or orzo pasta during the last hour of cooking to ensure that it does not overcook.
  2. Place the eggs and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
  3. Temper the egg lemon mixture with the hot broth.
  4. Shred the chicken, add the egg lemon mixture to the soup and stir well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Avgolemono soup in the slow cooker

Recipe FAQs

What does avgolemono mean in Greek?

Avgolemono refers to a Greek soup or sauce made with eggs and lemon. The eggs and lemon are whisked together, then tempered with hot stock and stirred into the soup or sauce, which adds creaminess and lemon flavor.

How do you pronounce avgolemono?

Avgolemono is pronounced ahv-go-lem-uh-no.

How do you temper an egg in soup?

Whisking constantly, add about a cup of hot broth to beaten egg a little at a time to ensure that the egg does not cook. Once all of the broth has been added to the egg, stir the mixture into the pot of soup.

What kind of rice is used in avgolemono?

Use any long grain white rice for this Greek avgolemono soup. Instant rice cooks too quickly and will turn to mush, while brown rice takes too long to cook.

Can avgolemono soup be reheated?

Yes, avgolemono soup may be reheated, but it should not be brought to a full boil. Heat in a pot on the stovetop cooked on medium or medium low heat until warm, or in a bowl the microwave for 1-2 minutes.

Recipe notes

  • Pro tip:  Use bone-in skinless chicken breasts to add flavor to the soup. Once the chicken is cooked, simply shred the chicken and discard the bones.
  • You may also use leftover cooked orzo pasta or rice and add at the end of cooking time.  Just heat until warm.
  • The video in the recipe card below shows the rice or pasta added at the start of cooking time, but for best results I recommend adding it during the last hour of cooking to ensure that it’s not overcooked.
  • If you like your soup even richer, add an additional egg. Add more lemon juice to taste if you like yours nice and lemony.
  • Leftover avgolemono soup will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.  Reheat gently on the stove top, or in a bowl in the microwave until warm.
Slow cooker Greek avgolemono soup in a bowl with spoon buried inside

More soup recipes you’ll love

Did you try this recipe?  If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram

Slow cooker Greek lemon chicken soup in a white bowl

Slow Cooker Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Additional Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
Slow Cooker Greek Lemon Chicken Soup is creamy, delicious and bursting with fresh lemon flavor! It's the easiest way to make avgolemono soup and it's great for meal prep!
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Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast*
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
  • 1 large stalk celery chopped
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 4 cups chicken stock homemade or low sodium
  • 2 cups water or sub with more chicken stock for added flavor
  • 1/2 cup uncooked white rice or orzo pasta do not use instant rice
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 large eggs
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken, onion, celery, garlic, stock and water in your slow cooker. Cook about 3 hours on high, or 4-5 hours on low, adding the rice or orzo during the last hour or so of cooking time to prevent overcooking.
    1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast*, 1 yellow onion, 1 large stalk celery, 1 clove garlic, 4 cups chicken stock, 2 cups water, 1/2 cup uncooked white rice or orzo pasta, salt and pepper
  • When the chicken is done, remove it from the slow cooker and allow to cool slightly. Chop into chunks or shred, and place back in the slow cooker.
  • Place the eggs in a medium bowl and beat lightly, then whisk in the lemon juice until combined. Place about 1 cup of hot soup broth in a measuring cup, and add a few droplets at a time to the egg-lemon mixture whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Continue adding the hot broth in a slow, steady stream while whisking constantly.
  • After all the stock has been added, add the egg-lemon mixture to the soup in the slow cooker and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, serve, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • Pro tip:  Use bone-in skinless chicken breasts to add flavor to the soup. Once the chicken is cooked, simply shred the chicken and discard the bones.
  • You may also use leftover cooked orzo pasta or rice and add at the end of cooking time.  Just heat until warm.
  • The video in this recipe card shows the rice or pasta added at the start of cooking time, but for best results I recommend adding it during the last hour of cooking to ensure that it’s not overcooked.
  • If you like your soup even richer, add an additional egg.  Add more lemon juice to taste if you like yours nice and lemony.
  • Leftover avgolemono soup will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.  Reheat gently on the stove top, or in a bowl in the microwave until warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 234kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 115mg, Sodium: 346mg, Potassium: 529mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 121IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 31mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Soups
Cuisine: Greek
Author: Marcie
All recipes and images © Flavor the Moments.
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

**This recipe was originally published in February 2016. I’ve updated the photos to include step by step instructions, and modified the post to include more recipe information.

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