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Greek Lemon Chicken Soup in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker

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Greek style chicken soup loaded with rice and lemon is a perfect way to warm up or feel better. I have included instructions for making it in an instant pot or slow cooker so that it’s easy and accessible for everyone!

bowl of lemony chicken soup with rice, potatoes, carrots, celery and onions and egg thickened broth avgelemono.

Have you ever tried avgolemono? The lemony broth of this chicken soup is thickened with egg to make it feel rich and creamy without adding dairy.

This soup is loaded with flavor and texture.  It is perfect for when you are feeling under the weather or an easy way to warm up on a cold day.

I asked what kind of recipes you’d like to see on the Cooking With Carlee Facebook page. Greek inspired recipes was a popular response.

veggies, rice and potatoes in instant pot ready to be made into chicken soup.

Luckily I had a couple of recipes I’ve been wanting to make. So this was the perfect excuse to go ahead and do it.

One is a slow cooker chicken recipe that is great for stuffing in pita pockets. It is easy to make and the yogurt sauce is great with a little fresh cucumber.

chicken and veggies in broth in instant pot ready to be made into instant pot.

The second was this Greek chicken soup.  My friend Deb posted it on her blog a while back and I was intrigued.

She lives on a beautiful Greek island and I am always so jealous of her scenery.  I shared one of her pictures in my Greek coconut cake post.

If you love pretty landscapes and old rustic buildings, check her out. The ruins they find on their walks are unlike anything you would ever see in the midwest, that is for sure!

fresh eggs and lemon juice being whisked together to be added to soup.

Anyway, she shared a slow cooker recipe for chicken soup that included lots of lemon and there were eggs in the broth. I had never had anything quite like it.

I was super intrigued so I pinned it with every intention of making it. But you know how life goes, so I never got to it.

lemon and egg mixture tempered with plenty of hot broth from the soup, ready to go in pot.

Until now that is! Instead of cooking the chicken, vegetables and rice all day in the slow cooker, I used an Instant Pot to get that part done quickly.

I have included both sets of directions so you can make it whichever way you prefer. Either way gives you a mostly hands off meal.

After the main broth, veggies and chicken are cooked, chop the chicken.  Deb suggests putting the chicken at the top of the pot when you load it up to cook.

That way they are super easy to remove and cut later.  I followed her advice and it worked like a charm!

instant pot of greek lemon chicken soup with first bowl dished out and ready to eat.

After the chicken is cut into bite sized pieces, go to work doing what makes this soup stand out, the lemon and the eggs. You mix together lemon juice and eggs.
 
You temper the lemon egg mixture with some hot broth. The added liquid and slowly rising temperature helps to prevent chunks of scrambled eggs in the broth.

You mix the tempered egg mixture into the pot and let the whole thing warm up together. The results are smooth and creamy.

bowl of lemon chicken soup in front of instant pot.

The lemon is a super bright and welcome addition to the chicken soup flavor profile. All of the chunks make the soup filling and delicious.

I happened to have onions, carrots, celery and potatoes all on hand this particular day. You could easily leave out one or two of them depending on your taste preference or what you happen to have.

A piece of crusty bread or a nice salad is all you need to make this a meal!

close bowl of Greek lemon chicken soup ready to eat.

More Great Recipes to Try

For another lemony chicken recipe, try making chicken piccata with artichoke hearts. It is a quick and easy meal that is tasty too.

If you like Greek inspired recipes, you could try making homemade pita bread. Then whip up some falafel waffles. They are a fun way to jazz up the classic.

Or try the lemon and yogurt slow cooker chicken filling for pita pockets. They make a fabulous lunch or light dinner!

Finish the meal with some Greek coconut cake. It’s soaked in syrup and loaded with coconut goodness.

Do you have any favorite Greek inspired recipes? I think we should work more of them into our menu rotation.

Love this recipe? Give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review in the recipe card below!

close bowl of Greek lemon chicken soup ready to eat.

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker

Carlee
Greek style chicken soup loaded with rice and lemon is a perfect way to warm up or feel better. I have included instructions for making it in an instant pot or slow cooker so that it's easy and accessible for everyone!
4.83 from 23 ratings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 10 Servings
Calories 244 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 3 large chicken breasts
  • 1 onion diced
  • pound carrots sliced thinly
  • 3 medium potatoes diced
  • 2 stalks celery sliced thinly
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup rice
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • ¾ cup lemon juice
  • 2 eggs

Instructions
 

  • Place chopped veggies, potatoes and rice in 6 quart or larger instant pot or slow cooker. 
    1 onion, ⅓ pound carrots, 3 medium potatoes, 2 stalks celery, 1 cup rice
  • Press or finely dice garlic and add to pot along with ground pepper. 
    4 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Place chicken on top of the veggies. Pour broth over top. 
    3 large chicken breasts, 8 cups chicken stock
  • Pressure cooker instructions: Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, then quick release. Place a damp cloth over the vent to catch any splatter. 
  • Slow cooker instructions: Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8.
  • Remove the chicken breasts from the pot and allow to rest for a few minutes. Then dice into smaller bite sized pieces and return to the pot. 
  • In a medium glass bowl, beat together eggs and lemon juice.  Ladle some hot broth from the pot into the bowl while stirring.  Continue to stir and add hot broth to the bowl until you have incorporated several cups of hot broth into the mixture.  
    ¾ cup lemon juice, 2 eggs
  • Return the lemon/egg mixture to the pot along with the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
  • Slow cook on low for 30 minutes. 
  • Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your taste. (The amount of salt you need will vary widely based on the broth  you used.)
  • Serve with crusty bread.
  • Store leftovers in the refrigerator and slowly warm up to reheat.  Heating it too quickly can cause the egg mixture to get a strange texture. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 244kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 20gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 343mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5g
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Recipe Rating




Athena

Thursday 27th of January 2022

I sure this is delicious, BUT this is not how Greeks make it ! We don’t add the veggies nor the potatoes.

Carlee

Friday 28th of January 2022

You could certainly leave them out. I did get the base of this recipe from a friend who lives in Zakynthos, so maybe there are different ways to make it in different regions? Or maybe this is just her own twist on the classic. I adapted it for the Instant Pot, but kept basic recipe pretty similar. Either way, we thought it was super delicious!

Athena

Thursday 27th of January 2022

Avgolemeno soup

Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies

Tuesday 4th of February 2020

This sounds so good! I've never made any Greek recipes, and am excited to try this!

Carlee

Wednesday 12th of February 2020

We aren't fans of olives, so that limits our Mediterranean options. We love the lemony versions though like this soup, the pita filling and grilled lemon yogurt chicken!

Amy

Saturday 25th of January 2020

This soup sounds fantastic. It is always fun to try something a little different. I've never had anything quite like this!

Carlee

Wednesday 12th of February 2020

I am so glad we tried it, it's a new favorite here. The lemon is really nice!

Andrea Nine

Monday 20th of January 2020

I’ve never had avgolemono but this recipe sounds divine. I’ve heard Greek food is so good for you and I love these ingredients. Have the best day!

Carlee

Wednesday 12th of February 2020

It has a nice lemon punch that we really enjoyed. It would be a perfect pick me up when you aren't feeling well.