This Turkish chicken lemon soup with rice is light, creamy (without cream!), and packed with comforting flavor. Similar to Greek avgolemono, it’s made with eggs, lemon juice, and tender chicken for a cozy one-pot meal that’s perfect for weeknights or make-ahead lunches.
Chicken soup is one of those iconic dishes that can be found in almost any culture around the world. Maybe that’s why this beloved comfort food is known to feed the soul and cure the common cold.
My kids positively love soup and I make a fresh pot every week for their school lunches. Their more recent soup obsession is this Turkish recipe for chicken lemon soup with rice.
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Recipe highlights
- Simple: This comforting chicken soup comes together easily with a few kitchen staples—chicken, rice, broth, lemon, and eggs. The eggs are whisked in at the end to create a silky, creamy texture—no cream needed! It’s a cozy, satisfying meal with minimal effort.
- Versatile: Whip up a pot for a weeknight dinner or serve it as an elegant starter when entertaining guests. It’s hearty enough to stand alone but light enough not to weigh you down. Leftovers reheat beautifully, making it great for meal prep or next-day lunches.
- Flavorful: Bright, tangy lemon pairs beautifully with the richness of the broth and the soft texture of the rice. You can keep it classic or toss in chopped carrots, celery, or herbs for extra depth and color. It’s vibrant, fresh, and deeply comforting.
- Family-Friendly: Even picky eaters love this creamy and mild soup! It’s soothing on a cold day and also gentle enough when someone’s feeling under the weather.
Reader’s Reviews
“Easy to make.. and delicious.. must try” — Mary via pinterest
Ingredients you need
- Chicken stock: You can use homemade or store-bought chicken stock. Just be sure it has great flavor or your soup will be bland.
- Basmati or jasmine rice: I always have basmati rice in my pantry, so I use it in this soup. You can also use jasmine rice.
- Cooked shredded chicken: If you do not have some leftover chicken to shred, quickly brown one chicken breast before you start your soup and shred it.
- Egg yolks: The yolks are used to thicken the soup and make it creamy. You do not need the whites.
- Lemon juice: You can use freshly squeezed or bottled lemon juice.
- Seasonings: salt, black pepper, parsley
Step-by-step directions
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- Simmer rice. Bring chicken stock to boil and add rice. Reduce to simmer and cook until rice is about halfway cooked, about 10 minutes
- Add chicken. Add shredded chicken and continue cooking until rice is fully cooked, another 10 minutes.
- Temper eggs. Whisk together egg yolks and lemon juice. Slowly add a little bit of hot broth, whisking at the same time to temper the eggs and prevent curdling. This is a very important step so work slowly.
- Finish soup. Slowly stir egg mixture in, whisking continuously. Cook on low heat for about 5 minutes for soup to thicken. Do not bring to boil or you may curdle the eggs. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.
Expert tips and recipe FAQs
This recipe is from Samantha Ferraro’s cookbook, The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen. I have known Samantha for over ten years. She shares her passion for Mediterranean recipes that reflect her Jewish, Italian and Turkish background on her blog The Little Ferraro Kitchen.
My kids love this soup so much that it makes a regular appearance on our family menu. I pack it in their thermos for school lunches, alternating it with other favorite soups like chicken udon noodle soup, homemade chicken noodle soup and easy chicken tortilla soup.
Sometimes I add some finely chopped carrots and celery with the chicken in this soup to make it even more hearty and delicious. And it was my son’s idea because he loves his veggies in his soup!
For another fabulous Turkish recipe to try, check out my recipe for grilled chicken shawarma kabobs.
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Store any leftover soup in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
TO FREEZE: You can freeze leftovers, but the eggs will separate giving the soup a curdled texture when thawed. It is still delicious and edible. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.
Temper the eggs by slowly whisking in a ladle of hot broth before adding the mixture back to the pot. This ensures a smooth and creamy texture without scrambling the eggs.
Yes! While rice is traditional, you can substitute it with orzo, bulgur, or even small pasta like pastina. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Yes! There’s no dairy in traditional avgolemono or this Turkish version—just eggs, lemon, broth, and rice. It’s creamy without any cream.
Chicken Lemon Soup with Rice
Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup basmati or jasmine rice rinsed
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 2 egg yolks
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring chicken stock to boil and add rice. Reduce to simmer, cover the pot and cook until rice is about halfway cooked, about 15 minutes
- Add shredded chicken and continue cooking until rice is fully cooked, another 10 minutes.
- In another bowl, whisk together egg yolks and lemon juice. Slowly stream in a ladle of hot broth, whisking at the same time to temper the eggs and prevent curdling.
- Remove soup from heat and slowly stir egg mixture in, whisking continuously. Soup can be cooked on low heat to thicken, just do not bring to boil or you may curdle the eggs.
- Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Disclosure: I was provided a cookbook to review, but no additional compensation. This post does include affiliate links. The opinions I expressed here are my own. If I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t blog about it!
Love lemon, love soup — this is perfect. Thanks!