Tarpon Springs Avgolemono with Pasture-Raised Chicken and Orzo
This is the soup that Tarpon Springs families have been making for generations: a slow-simmered chicken broth pulled silky and bright with beaten eggs and fresh lemon juice, finished with orzo and shredded chicken. It is simple, restorative, and deeply Greek in the best possible way.
Silky, lemony, and built from a whole pasture-raised bird straight out of the pot.
Drive down Dodecanese Boulevard in Tarpon Springs on a cool October evening and you will smell this soup coming out of somebody's kitchen. Avgolemono has been the Greek community's answer to cold weather and tired bones since the first sponge divers settled the Gulf Coast over a century ago. It is nothing more than chicken broth, eggs, lemon, and a handful of orzo, but the technique of whisking those eggs and that juice into the hot broth turns it into something entirely its own.
We use a whole Altamont bird here, simmered low and slow to build real broth from scratch. The pasture-raised chickens have enough fat and flavor that you end up with a golden base that does most of the work before the eggs and lemon even touch it. This is a weeknight soup that eats like Sunday cooking. You can read how we raise them here.
Ingredients
Method
- 1
Place the whole chicken in a large pot with the halved onion, smashed garlic, oregano, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, and enough cold water to cover by about 2 inches, roughly 10 to 12 cups. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skim off any foam that rises to the surface, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
- 2
Simmer uncovered for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, until the chicken is completely tender and the broth is golden and fragrant. Pull the chicken out and set it on a cutting board to cool slightly. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer and return it to the pot. Discard the onion. Taste the broth and adjust salt.
- 3
Bring the strained broth back to a steady simmer over medium heat. Add the orzo and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 9 minutes. While the orzo cooks, pull the chicken meat off the bones by hand, discarding the skin. Shred the meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- 4
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs together until smooth and a little frothy. Whisk in the fresh lemon juice until fully combined. Slowly ladle about 2 cups of the hot broth into the egg-lemon mixture one ladleful at a time, whisking constantly. This tempers the eggs so they thicken the soup instead of scrambling.
- 5
Pour the tempered egg-lemon mixture back into the pot of simmering broth and orzo, stirring gently. Add the shredded chicken back in. Keep the heat on the lowest setting and stir for another 2 to 3 minutes. The soup will turn creamy and slightly thickened. Do not let it boil after the eggs go in or the texture will break.
- 6
Ladle into wide bowls and finish each with a small drizzle of good olive oil and a crack of black pepper. Serve immediately with crusty bread.
Notes from our kitchen
- The key to a silky avgolemono is patience with the tempering step. Add the hot broth to the eggs one slow ladleful at a time and whisk the whole time. Rushing it gives you scrambled egg soup.
- Pasture-raised chicken makes better broth than any store bird you can buy. The fat renders golden and the flavor is fuller. Do not skip skimming the surface in that first 10 minutes of simmering.
- If you have leftover soup, reheat it very gently over low heat and add a splash of water or extra broth. The orzo keeps absorbing liquid overnight, so it will thicken considerably in the fridge.
Common questions
Can I use rice instead of orzo?
Yes, and plenty of Tarpon Springs families do it both ways. Use about 0.33 cup of long-grain white rice and give it a few extra minutes to cook through before you temper in the egg-lemon mixture.
Why does my soup look curdled?
The broth got too hot after the eggs went in. Once you add the avgolemono mixture, keep the heat at the absolute lowest setting. A broken texture still tastes fine, but the silky version is worth the care.
Can I make this with chicken parts instead of a whole bird?
You can. Use about 2.5 pounds of bone-in thighs or a mix of thighs and drumsticks. The broth will not be quite as rich, but it works well and cuts the simmer time to around 45 minutes.
