"Chicken soup with egg sauce" English

It is winter time and there is nothing better than a hot chicken soup made in the traditional Greek way!

“Kotosoupa” in Greek refers to traditional chicken soup made usually with a rich “avgolemono” sauce (egg-lemon sauce) and rice. 

Soups are known in every culture around the world but the avgolemono sauce is what differentiate this Greek chicken soup from the others. A bowl of chicken soup with a silky avgolemono sauce makes for an example of the perfect comfort food.

Just like Giagia's (“giagia” = grandmother) home cooking!

Preparation time: 15 min 
Cook time: 90 min (approximately)
Portions: 4-6 portions 

Ingredients: 
For the soup:

• 1 chicken, whole with the bones*
• 1 litre of water
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• a tablespoon of butter
• 100 gr Karolina rice
  

*only chicken breast could also be used in that recipe with the result being as delicious as with the other way.

For the avgolemono sauce:

• 2 egg yolks
• lemon juice from 2 lemons and the zest
• a pinch of pepper
  

To serve: 

• a few drops of Greek olive oil 
• a slice of Dodoni feta cheese a side
• fresh parsley or oregano

Process:

This traditional Greek soup takes only 4 steps to make it and these are:

1. Prepare the soup: Start by washing the chicken. Place the meat in a deep pot with the salt, peper, onion and the bay leaf. Cover it with water and simmer for about an hour. If any white foam forms, use a slotted spoon to skim off and discard.
   
   
2. Pour into a bowl through a strainer, discard bones and wash pot. Return the stock to the clean pot and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and the rice along with the butter and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
   
   
3. Prepare the egg-lemon sauce, when the soup is almost ready. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the lemon juice and some cold water (about 2 tablespoons). While whisking, add in 2 ladles-full of the broth from your cooking pot. This last step will temper the sauce so the eggs will not curdle when added to the hot soup.
   
   
4. Remove the pot from the heat and add the avgolemono sauce to the chicken soup.
   
   Tip: This is important so the eggs will not be cooked.

Serve this traditional soup with a slice of Dodoni feta cheese and sprinkle the suitable for that reason feta cheese mix on the top!

Kali oreksi ! / Enjoy!