Creamy Lemon Chicken Avgolemono Soup (egg-free)

Step 1

Add chicken to a large pot and season it with salt and pepper.

Step 2

Quarter and peel onions, scrub and roughly chop carrots and celery, cut garlic heads in half widthwise (leave the skins on, you'll strain it later).

Step 3

Add all onions, garlic, bay leaves, and herbs to your pot surrounding the chicken and add only 1/2 the carrots and celery, reserve the rest of the carrots and celery for later.

Step 4

Pour water over everything (make sure it's enough to cover the chicken) and bring to a low boil over medium-high heat and cook until a thermometer reads 165F when inserted into the breast (approximately 30 minutes).

Step 5

Carefully remove the whole chicken and place it onto a cutting board (I used two slotted spoons), and let rest for 3-5 minutes or so. Leave the water and veggies to continue cooking.

Step 6

When cool enough to handle, peel the skin off wings, breasts, and drumsticks. Discard the skin.

Step 7

Cut breasts off of the main carcass and leave them on your cutting board, return the rest of the meat (carcass, wings, drums) to the water and let simmer on medium-low for approximately 40 minutes to continue cooking, creating your stock.

Step 8

Meanwhile, if you’re making the AIP egg-free creamy lemon sauce, now is a good time to make that while you wait for the soup to cook! (see directions below in the notes)

Step 9

For a second time, carefully remove the carcass and all chicken pieces, and place them onto your cutting board where the breasts have been resting. Remove all meat from bones on the breast, drums, wings, etc., shredding by hand or using 2 forks as you go along, make pieces as small as you like for chewing. Optionally save the bones in a freezer bag for future use to make bone broth or discard them. Save the meat on your cutting board while you strain the chicken stock.

Step 10

Turn the heat off. Place another large pot nearby or in your sink with a fine mesh strainer over top and carefully, strain the chicken stock, catching the soft veggies and other bits into the strainer. Discard the veggies and bits and return the chicken stock to your stovetop and turn the heat back on to a low flame.

Step 11

Now, add your reserved chopped carrots and celery with all the separated meat on your cutting board to the freshly strained stock over low-medium heat. Allow the veggies to cook for 5 mins. until fork tender or softer if you like.

Step 12

Meanwhile, make the egg-lemon sauce by combining all ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisking together until combined. Set aside.

Step 13

When veggies are cooked, ladle in 1-2 cups of the hot soup slowly into the bowl of egg-lemon sauce, while continuously whisking. This step is to temper the egg mixture (raising the temperature slowly), and prevent it from turning into scrambled eggs in your soup!

Step 14

Once mixed, pour the egg-lemon sauce into the soup and stir well, letting the sauce thicken for 3-4 mins in the soup over low heat, then turn off the heat and taste. Add all chicken back into the pot and stir. Season to taste (salt, pepper, or more lemon juice, etc.), garnish with additional chopped dill, and serve! *Alternatively, if using the AIP (egg-free) lemon sauce, pour ½ into the soup and mix in until creamy, and taste, optionally add more of the mixture depending on how you like it.