Avgolemono

Many years ago I grew tired of chicken noodle soup...even when sick...it just fell flat compared to all of the flavors of pho.  Plus siracha is a natural decongestant for me (too much?).

I do love chicken, and sometimes the lean/clean taste of chicken feels better to me than beef, so I started to look at other chicken soup recipes which lead me to avgolemono.  Avgolemono is a chicken noodle soup...but the noodles are reduced to orzo, with an addition of lemon juice to brighten it, and an addition of eggs to enrich it.  It also includes spinach and carrots, so you just feel good eating it.  We simply call it Lemon Chicken Soup and it was M's favorite soup for the longest time.

I have been making this soup for so long I do not follow a recipe and just make it up as I go.

• Cooked orzo
• Cook your orzo first and set it to the side, add it in per serving to have the best leftovers otherwise orzo will eat up all of your broth if you store it together.
• Cooked chicken
• Cook about 5 or 6 chicken thighs, set it to the side and shred, add it in when the soup is done.  You can also slow cook a chicken and use the liquid for the broth.
• Chicken broth, about 2 quarts
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves of garlic, I use a microplane
• Carrots, 3 - 5 diced
• Spinach, 1 bag of fresh (arugula is good too)
• Eggs, 3 - 4
• Lemons, 3

Saute the onions and garlic until fragrant and transparent, then add the carrots and saute until softened.  Add the broth and while you bring it to a simmer, juice your lemons.  Now this next part I just thought of, and it has been a game changer for me.  In a small bowl or large mixing cup combine your eggs and lemon juice then blend with an immersion blender.  Move the immersion blender to the soup and use it while pouring in the egg lemon mixture.  I used to mix the eggs and lemon juice by hand, then tempered and stirred the soup by hand.  Using the immersion blender makes the soup much creamier than doing it by hand.  Next add your cooked chicken and spinach, once your spinach wilts pour into a bowl with orzo.