Instant Pot Greek Avgolemono Soup is a perfect blend of tender chicken, flavourful broth, and a tangy, velvety avgolemono sauce made with eggs and lemon. Each spoonful is a comforting, nourishing delight that warms the heart and soothes the soul. Made effortlessly with the help of the Instant Pot.
So simple yet so brilliant! Instant Pot Greek Avgolemono Soup, also known as “Kotosoupa Avgolemono” or “Κοτόσουπα Aυγολέμονο” in Greek (pronounced kot-OH-soo-pah av-go-LEM-ono) is a traditional chicken soup with a creamy egg-lemon base. This soup is dairy-free, and the creamy texture comes from a silky sauce of emulsified eggs, lemon juice, cornstarch, and hot broth. The best way I can describe the feeling while eating this soup is that it tastes like a warm hug on a cold day. It is deeply satisfying, and to many Greek families, it is the ultimate comfort food.
Whilst the Instant Pot does not necessarily reduce the cooking time of the soup, it does offer two significant benefits as opposed to preparing it on the stovetop. First, the Instant Pot is really good for cooking tender chicken. The meat easily falls off the bone (which is why I recommend using a stainless steel steamer basket to catch all the pieces). Also, you do not need to monitor the soup, as you would for monitoring it while it cooks on the stovetop. The timers go off, and it can also stay on the “Keep Warm” setting until you’re ready to finalize the soup.
The next time you are sick or in the mood for some soup, try this Greek version of chicken soup – you will love it!
CLICK HERE FOR THE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO ON YOUTUBE
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WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS AVGOLEMONO SOUP RECIPE
- Delicious! – This Greek Avgolemono Soup recipe makes a hearty, thick, and fulfilling soup with smooth, subtle flavours the whole family will love.
- Budget-Friendly! – Buying a whole chicken is often more affordable than buying cleaned chicken breasts. The remaining ingredients are minimal and all regular pantry staples.
- Super Healthy! – It’s no exaggeration that Greek Chicken Egg-Lemon Soup can be considered a superfood in a bowl. It contains plenty of protein, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, such as collagen, iron, and selenium. Cooking a whole chicken allows for more nutrients to be transferred to the soup. The bones, skin, and collagen contain essential nutrients that help reduce inflammation in the body and support a healthy immune system, which is particularly beneficial if you are unwell. Adding lemon juice to the soup also adds vitamin C, and vitamin C helps with the body’s absorption of iron.
INGREDIENTS FOR INSTANT POT GREEK CHICKEN EGG-LEMON SOUP RECIPE
- 1 (about 1 cup) red onion, finely diced
- 2-3 (about 1¼ cup) carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 1 bouillon cube, chicken or vegetable
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup medium-grain rice, rinsed (I use Carolina rice, but any medium-grain rice will do)
- 1 (1.5kg or 3lbs) whole chicken, giblets removed, cut into 4-6 pieces
- 8 cups warm water
- 1½ tsp cornstarch
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 lemons, freshly squeezed (1/2 cup juice)
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS HOW TO MAKE GREEK CHICKEN EGG-LEMON SOUP RECIPE
- Add onion, carrot, sea salt, pepper, bouillon cube, and rice to the liner of the Instant Pot.
- Place chicken pieces in a stainless steel steamer basket and place on top of the ingredients. Carefully add water to the pot.
- Close the lid and turn the release valve to the sealed position. Set the manual pressure cooking time for 10 minutes. The pot will take about 20 minutes to come to pressure. When the cooking time is complete, allow for a full Natural Pressure Release (this takes approximately 1 hour).
- Carefully remove the lid once pressure is released and slowly and carefully remove the steamer basket and chicken with tongs or oven mitts, and place it in a large bowl that will catch the excess liquid. The chicken pieces will be very hot, so allow them to cool a little before handling.
- Crack the eggs into a medium-sized bowl. Whisk together the eggs, lemon juice, and cornstarch.
- Slowly add a small ladle of soup broth into the egg-lemon mixture and whisk vigorously. Continue doing this slowly, in increments, until the egg-lemon mixture is hot, and not warm. Very slowly pour this hot mixture into the pot and continue mixing. Combining the egg-lemon mixture requires patience and precision. Do not rush combining the egg mixture with the soup. If you pour it directly into the pot without heating it up, you will make scrambled eggs.
- Stir the soup and turn off the “Keep Warm” feature (if on) on the Instant Pot and press the Saute button. Bring to a slow boil for approximately 1-2 minutes to thicken the soup and then turn off, or set to “Keep Warm”.
- Separate the chicken meat from the skin, fat, bones, and cartilage, trying to keep the chicken in larger pieces, and place the meat back into the soup. Gently stir to combine. It’s ready!
- Serve warm Avgolemono soup in a bowl. Add another squeeze of fresh lemon juice directly into the bowl right before serving. Smile and Enjoy!
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST AVGOLEMONO SOUP
I highly recommend allowing the Instant Pot to do a full Natural Pressure Release. This takes more time but makes a difference in the depth of flavour.
Do not rush combining the egg mixture with the soup. If you pour it directly into the pot without heating it up, you will make scrambled eggs. It is a necessary step of the recipe to slowly ladle the hot soup in small increments into the egg mixture so it emulsifies without fully cooking the eggs. Once the mixture is hot, not just warm, then it can be added to the pot and still continue stirring until combined. This step is what makes the soup taste incredible.
If possible, keep the chicken meat in larger pieces instead of chopping it up. This provides a satisfying chew, which adds to the comforting mouthfeel.
If you have the opportunity to use a village chicken or an organic chicken, I highly recommend this. The soup turns a yellow colour but the savoury, chicken-taste is more flavourful.
This dish, like many soups and stews, is even more delicious when served the next day!
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS AND SERVING SUGGESTIONS
A common addition to Greek Chicken Egg-Lemon Soup is to add one finely diced celery stalk. It adds another layer of flavour that complements it nicely.
As with all Greek soup recipes, we recommend serving it with some thick, crusty bread to scoop up all the delicious soup-y goodness left in the bowl.
For a more lemony flavour, add an extra squeeze of fresh lemon directly in the bowl, right before enjoying it.
ALLERGY INFORMATION FOR INSTANT POT GREEK AVGOLEMONO SOUP
Our Greek Avgolemono Soup recipe is:
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
- Peanut-free
- Wheat-free
- Soy-free
- Celery-free
- Sesame-free
- Fish-free
- Crustacean-free
- Mustard-free
Always check food labels to ensure the ingredients comply with dietary needs. Some bouillon contains dairy and wheat. This can be substituted for soup salt or simply plain salt.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS
Store leftover Avgolemono in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The soup will thicken when it’s stored overnight. You can add a bit of water when reheating the soup to help thin it out.
Alternatively, place Avgolemono in an airtight, freezer-proof container when storing it in the freezer. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
TRY THESE DELICIOUS INSTANT POT GREEK SOUP RECIPES NEXT!
CLICK HERE FOR THE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO ON YOUTUBE
CLICK HERE FOR THE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO ON TIKTOK
If you loved this recipe – please let us know what you think in the comments… and please share!!
INSTANT POT GREEK AVGOLEMONO SOUP RECIPE (GREEK CHICKEN EGG-LEMON SOUP)
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot
- 1 stainless steel steamer basket
Ingredients
- 1 (about 1 cup) red onion finely diced
- 2-3 (about 1¼ cup) carrots peeled, finely diced
- 1 bouillon cube chicken or vegetable
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground back pepper
- 1/2 cup medium-grain rice rinsed (I use Carolina rice, but any medium-grain will do)
- 1 (1.5kg/3lbs) whole chicken cut in 4-6 pieces, giblets removed
- 8 cups warm water
- 1½ tsp cornstarch
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 (1/2 cup juiced) lemons
Instructions
- Add onion, carrot, sea salt, pepper, bouillon cube, and rice to the liner of the Instant Pot.
- Place chicken pieces in a stainless steel steamer basket and place on top of the ingredients. Carefully add water to the pot.
- Close the lid and turn the release valve to the sealed position. Set the manual pressure cooking time for 10 minutes. The pot will take about 20 minutes to come to pressure. When the cooking time is complete, allow for a full Natural Pressure Release (this takes approximately 1 hour).
- Carefully remove the lid once pressure is released and slowly and carefully remove the steamer basket and chicken with tongs or oven mitts, and place it in a large bowl that will catch the excess liquid. The chicken pieces will be very hot, so allow them to cool a little before handling.
- Crack the eggs into a medium-sized bowl. Whisk together the eggs, lemon juice, and cornstarch.
- Slowly add a small ladle of soup broth into the egg-lemon mixture and whisk vigorously. Continue doing this slowly, in increments, until the egg-lemon mixture is hot, and not warm. Very slowly pour this hot mixture into the pot and continue mixing. Combining the egg-lemon mixture requires patience and precision. Do not rush combining the egg mixture with the soup. If you pour it directly into the pot without heating it up, you will make scrambled eggs.
- Stir the soup and turn off the “Keep Warm” feature (if on) on the Instant Pot and press the Saute button. Bring to a slow boil for approximately 1-2 minutes to thicken the soup and then turn off, or set to “Keep Warm”.
- Separate the chicken meat from the skin, fat, bones, and cartilage, trying to keep the chicken in larger pieces, and place the meat back into the soup. Gently stir to combine. It’s ready!
- Serve warm Avgolemono soup in a bowl. Add another squeeze of fresh lemon juice directly into the bowl right before serving. Smile and Enjoy!
I know this is not a traditional ingredient but I add spinach to my avgolemeno soup.
Hi Janice, thank you for sharing! It’s not traditional but I bet it tastes fantastic! I add spinach to a lot of recipes and would definitely try this combo.
This sounds AMAZING !! Can this be made in a Pressure Cooker since I don’t have an Instant Pot ??
Hello Vicki, thank you for your message. Yes, I think it can be prepared the same way but with a standard pressure cooker. I’m not sure how long the cooking time would be though. The most important step for the success of this soup is combining the lemon-egg mixture but this is done after the initial cooking of the soup. I’d love to hear how it turns out!