Avgolemono Soup Recipe With Quinoa (Slow Cooker Greek Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe)
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Lemon fans will love this lighter, summertime soup. Greek Avgolemono Soup is bright, lemony, and slightly creamy. This recipe uses quinoa instead of traditional rice, which gives it a lighter chew. It can be eaten warm or cold, and your slow cooker does the cooking so you don’t have to heat up the kitchen.
Love slow cooker recipes in the summer months? Here are some more ideas that will help you keep your kitchen cool this summer. Try these healthy pulled pork sandwiches, these lentil sloppy Joe’s, or these barbecue chicken soft tacos.
What Is Avgolemono Soup?
Avgolemono Soup is a Greek lemon chicken soup that is slightly creamy but has no dairy. It’s traditionally served with rice, but I switched it to quinoa for this recipe. The creaminess comes from eggs instead of milk or cream. It’s a lighter soup that can be enjoyed warm or cold. It’s perfect for those who love soup any time of year.
Is Avgolemono Soup Healthy?
This recipe sure is! I mean, I suppose it depends on your definition of healthy. But this recipe uses all-natural ingredients and is made from scratch. It’s a delicious soup that is perfect for a clean, eating plan.
Pro Recipe Tips
- For a thinner texture, add a bit more broth just before serving.
- You can make it dairy-free, gluten-free, and still elegant enough to serve guests.
- Quinoa gives a more nutty, slightly grainy texture compared to rice, but still blends beautifully with the lemon-egg broth.
- Don’t boil after adding the egg-lemon mixture. Keep it warm but not bubbling to maintain creaminess.
- This soup thickens slightly as it sits, thanks to the quinoa and egg mixture.
What To Serve With Avgolemono Soup
There are a lot of light dishes you can serve with this, especially in the warmer summer months. Try any of the following:
- Toasted pita bread
- Crusty sourdough or rustic bread
- Garlic breadsticks
- Greek village salad (Horiatiki)
- Lemon-dill orzo salad
- Cucumber yogurt salad (tzatziki-style)
- Grilled halloumi
- Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves)
- Spanakopita
- Lemon-olive tapenade
- Marinated olives
- Lemon-mint sparkling water
What You’ll Need To Make Avgolemono Soup In A Slow Cooker
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – you can also use chicken thighs with the fat trimmed.
Low-sodium chicken stock – Or broth. No sugar added.
Uncooked quinoa – Make sure you rinse this well.
Red onion
Eggs
Fresh lemons
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley, dill, or cilantro – Chopped, for garnish.
How To Make Avgolemono Soup
Gather, prep, and measure all ingredients.
Add the chicken breasts, onions, and chicken stock to the slow cooker and cook on high for 4½ to 5½ hours (7-8 hours on low), or until the chicken easily shreds.
During the last 1.5 hours on high (or the last 2.5 hours on low), stir in the rinsed quinoa directly into the slow cooker. No need to adjust the liquid. The broth is enough.
Once the cook time is up, remove the chicken breasts and shred them with two forks or an electric hand mixer. Set aside (you’ll add it back after the egg-lemon mixture).
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and lemon juice until smooth.
Slowly ladle in 2-3 scoops of hot broth from the soup while whisking constantly (this tempers the eggs and prevents scrambling).
Important: The soup should be hot but NOT boiling at this point. Turn the heat to low or off before adding the egg-lemon mix to keep it creamy, not curdled.
Slowly stir the tempered mixture back into the slow cooker, stirring gently.
Stir in the shredded chicken. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley, dill, or cilantro.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to three days.
Freezing
Freezing is not recommended for this soup.
Reheating
Reheat in a pot on the stovetop or in a microwave.
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Avgolemono Soup Recipe With Quinoa (Slow Cooker Greek Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe)
Equipment
- 1 Small Slow Cooker (about 3-4 quarter)
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ lbs. give or take)
- 6 cups chicken stock (no sugar added, low-sodium is best)
- ½ cup dry quinoa (rinsed well)
- ⅔ cup chopped red onion
- 2 large eggs
- 2 medium lemons (zest and juice)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- fresh, chopped parsley (for garnish – cilantro works too)
Instructions
- Gather, measure, and prep all ingredients.
- Add the chicken breasts, onions and chicken stock to the slow cooker and cook on high for 4½ to 5½ hours (7-8 hours on low), or until the chicken easily shreds.
- During the last 1.5 hours on HIGH (or the last 2.5 hours on LOW), stir in the rinsed quinoa directly into the slow cooker. No need to adjust the liquid. The broth is enough.
- When the cook time is done, remove the chicken breasts and shred them with a fork or electric hand mixer. Set aside (you’ll add it back after the egg-lemon mixture).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs + lemon juice until smooth.
- Slowly ladle in 2–3 ladles of hot broth from the soup while whisking constantly (this tempers the eggs and prevents scrambling).
- Slowly stir the tempered mixture back into the slow cooker, stirring gently.
- Stir in the shredded chicken, taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley or cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
