Avgolemono soup, also known as “That greek lemon chicken soup that I can’t pronounce the name of” is seriously one of my favorite foods of all time.

I don’t remember when I first tried it, but I now go to the really overpriced Greek restaurant in Uptown just to get a $6 cereal bowl of its goodness.

Which is silly because (with this version) it’s seriously one of the easiest recipes in the world.

The traditional recipe takes dedication. Considering I keep a stock of frozen chickens in my freezer and never, ever remember to get one out ahead of when I want to use it, the three-and-a-half hours quoted here turns into four or five. And you really have to watch it. You can’t come back two hours later and try to skim. It doesn’t work. However, there is an easier way.

Remember those chickens I keep in my freezer? I usually throw them in the crockpot in the morning and then pick the chicken off the bone in the afternoon/evening for whatever recipe I needed the meat for. I then return the chicken bones and skin to the crockpot with whatever carrot, celery and onion discards I have laying around (is there any chicken recipe that doesn’t also call for these things?) fill the crock pot up with water and let it cook on low overnight. In the morning I strain it and bottle the broth in old apple juice jars. Viola. Free chicken broth.

But you don’t have to make your own chicken broth to make this soup. It’s just fun to say you did.

Ingredients

• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup brown rice (white works just as well, I just prefer brown all the time.)
• 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (remember that one that was in the crockpot? This is like one breast from it.)
• 6 eggs
• 1/3 cup lemon juice

How-to

• In a medium sauce pan, bring the broth to a boil.
• Add rice and chicken. Simmer for 30 min or until rice is tender.
• Meanwhile, whisk eggs and lemon juice together in a large mixing bowl.
• When the rice is done, remove pan from heat.
• Using an electric beater on medium, mix in the hot broth mix one cup at a time. (Seriously. If you add too much, the eggs will cook and curdle. It’s not dangerous and doesn’t taste too bad, but it looks awful.)
• When it’s fully incorporated, you’ll have a cloudy-white, creamy, dreamy soup.