This Instant Pot Greek Lemon, Chicken, and Brown Rice Soup is not only delicious cozy winter comfort, but it's also filled with whole grains and protein (plus it's gluten-free and dairy-free)!
This Instant Pot Greek Lemon, Chicken, and Brown Rice Soup is cozy, delicious, and kid-friendly! #wholegrains #healthydinner #winter #soup #ww #21dayfix #glutenfree #dairyfree #weightwatchers
Have we been staying warm, friends? Ok, well, does this photo at least make you feel a little warmer? This soup is truly one of the most hug-in-a-bowl recipes there is. It's the coziest.
Greek lemon, chicken, and rice soup was such a favorite of mine when we lived in Detroit, where it was on so many mom-and-pop restaurant menus. Lawwwwd we had the best Greek food there. Sheer nostalgia inspired this post. Well, and the absolutely ridiculous temperatures we've been having lately.
Also, it reminds me so much of this lemon chicken noodle soup, but with added creamy-dreamy-ness! ♥️
My eldest has stated that this soup is currently her very favorite thing in the world, so I hope you give it a go and enjoy it just as much!
Ok, let's do a little Q&A then I'll show you how to make it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is avgolemono?
Avgolemono is an egg and lemon sauce that's used in Greek cooking. I've seen it used with pasta, pork, and fish, as well as being used to top stuffed grape leaves, cabbage, and peppers.
It is both light and velvety and such a beautiful addition to chicken soup!
Avgolemono soup is usually a soup consisting of chicken, rice, broth, and the avgolemono sauce.
Can this be made without an electric mixer?
Yes! Avgolemono sauce is often made without a mixer - I just love the texture whipping the egg whites gives, but it isn't necessary by any means.
You can just whisk your eggs (no need to separate in this case) until nice and frothy, then whisk in your lemon juice. Next, slowly pour in your hot broth (while continuing to whisk!) to temper the eggs. Continue the recipe as directed.
Can this Greek Lemon, Chicken, and Brown Rice Soup be made in a slow-cooker?
Yes! Though I haven't tested this myself, I've seen some slow-cooker Avgolemono soups out there. Referencing those recipes, I would say to add all of the ingredients (except the eggs and lemon juice) to the slow-cooker, cook on high 4-6 hours or on low for 6-8 hours, then follow steps 4-7 as written in the recipe card below.
Can this soup be made on the stovetop?
Yes! Spray the bottom of a large pot, then saute the onions, then the garlic. Add the broth, chicken and rice and bring to a boil. Cook until the chicken and rice are both fully cooked, between 25 - 35 minutes. Then follow steps 4-7 as written in the recipe card below.
Note that you may need to add some extra broth at the end with this method if it gets thicker than you'd like.
Is Instant Pot Brown Rice Avgolemono Soup healthy?
Yes! This lovely soup is full of lean protein and whole grains, what's not to love? Though be sure to trim that chicken well, that's the important bit 😊
This recipe is also gluten-free, dairy-free, and 21 Day Fix / Weight Watchers friendly (see the recipe card for counts)!
Could I add extra vegetables to this recipe?
For sure - You could add things that you might want sauteed a bit (think carrots, bell pepper, butternut squash, broccoli, etc) in with the onions and then continue the recipe as written. You could also wilt some spinach in at the end!
What goes well with Greek Lemon, Chicken and Brown Rice Soup?
I feel like the obvious answer (and what we usually do) is a nice Greek salad and some good bread, though my copycat Olive Garden Salad would also be great.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Substitutions:
- 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (added after you whisk in the egg mixture)
- 1 ½ lbs of chicken breasts or chicken tenders - though note that you'll have the best texture/juiciness using the thighs, but I know some of you prefer white meat, so do your thing!
- Substitutions:
- Any onion or shallot you have on hand will work here. If you don't have any on hand, though, I think you could leave it out entirely and it would still be delish!
- Substitutions:
- 1 ½ Tbs jarred garlic (or jarlic, if you will)
- Garlic powder - I'd start with ½ teaspoon and add more if needed, to taste
- Substitutions:
- Low-sodium chicken broth (be sure to cut the salt down to ½ tsp!)
- Unsalted or low-sodium vegetable broth
- Water - in a pinch this'll work, but note that using water will make the lemon flavor more prominent, so you may want to start with less lemon juice
- Substitutions:
- Medium-grain brown rice
- Note that white rice and brown basmati rice have significantly different cooking times and should be avoided in this recipe
- Substitutions:
- None, but you can always limit this as you see fit!
- Substitutions:
- Sorry, none here either, the eggs are pretty important to this dish! That being said, if you left them out I bet you'd still have a pretty tasty soup, the texture would just be very different.
- Substitutions:
- This is a really important flavor component to this dish, and unfortunately bottled lemon juice just isn't the same! However, if you do make this with the bottled stuff - note that you may need to add more of it than the amount of fresh lemon juice that's called for. Generally I've found bottled lemon juice to be less potent than fresh.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Brown Rice Avgolemono Soup
Put your Instant Pot in saute mode, then once hot, add the onions and saute for 3-4 minutes. Next, add the garlic and cook for another minute. Deglaze with the broth.
Stir in the rice and the salt (no photo of adding the salt, fyi). Next, add the chicken, making sure that all of the chicken is submerged in the broth. Pressure cook for 30 minutes with a natural pressure release of around 10 minutes.
While your pot is naturally releasing, put the egg whites in a mixing bowl and beat them until stiff peaks form. Next, beat in the yolks, then the lemon juice.
Once you've fully released the pressure from your Instant Pot, remove about a cup of the broth, and with the mixer running, slowly add this to your egg/lemon mixture to temper the eggs.
Remove the chicken from the broth with a slotted spoon and shred it with two forks (honestly, it practically shreds itself, it's so tender!)!
Whisk the egg mixture into the broth, then stir in the chicken.
Check your seasonings and enjoy!
Storage
Immediately store your leftovers in the fridge. The brown rice avgolemono soup will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. If it thickens up on you too much, just add a little extra broth or water until you get to the consistency you'd like.
This soup also freezes really well! I usually freeze it in portions then thaw it using the defrost setting on my microwave. It does tend to separate upon reheating, but nothing that a good stir doesn't fix.
Don't forget to save this Greek Lemon, Chicken, and Brown Rice Soup recipe to Pinterest ⇓
📖 Recipe
Greek Lemon Chicken and Brown Rice Soup (Avgolemono)
Instant Pot Brown Rice Avgolemono is hearty, creamy, and cozy! Perfect for a cold winter's day, plus it's gluten-free and dairy-free!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed well and seasoned lightly with salt and pepper (after trimming it ends up being about 1 ½ lbs - you could also use 3 cups of shredded leftover/rotisserie chicken)
- 1 cup of white or yellow onion, chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced (about 1 - 1 ½ Tbs worth)
- 6 cups unsalted chicken broth (you can also use low sodium, but you'll want to use a little less salt, probably ½ teaspoon instead)
- 1 cup dry long grain brown rice
- ¾ teaspoon salt
For the Avgolemono sauce:
- 4 eggs, separated
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice - more or less, to taste (you'll need about 2 large or 3 medium lemons)
Instructions
- Pull your eggs out to let them come to room temp, set aside.*
- Put your Instant Pot on saute mode and spray it with olive oil or avocado oil spray. Once hot, add the onions and saute 3-4 minutes (they'll finish cooking once under pressure), then add the minced garlic and cook another minute or so.
- Turn off the saute function and stir in the broth, rice, and salt, then add your seasoned chicken. Put the lid on, set it to sealing, and cook on manual (or pressure cook) for 30 minutes. Naturally release the pressure for at least 10 minutes once finished.
- While your pot is naturally releasing, whip your egg whites to stiff peaks in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer. Next, beat in the yolks, then the lemon juice. (**see notes if you don't have a mixer or just want to skip this step)
- After the pressure has been released on your Instant Pot, remove about a cup of the hot broth (it's fine if some onions / rice are in there), then with your mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the hot broth to temper the egg mixture, mixing just until combined. Set aside.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it with 2 forks.
- Whisk the egg mixture back into the Instant Pot, then stir in the shredded chicken. Give it a taste and if needed, add more lemon and/or salt/pepper. Enjoy!
Notes
*This just helps make the egg-tempering process even more fool-proof, but if you missed this step, no worries! I've forgotten to do this with no issues.
**If you don't have a mixer or just want to skip the egg white step, you can put your whole eggs in a large bowl and whisk them until they're nice and frothy, then add the lemon juice. Then, while whisking constantly, stream in the hot broth.
***See post if you want to try this on the stovetop or in a slow-cooker!
21 Day Fix counts per serving: ¾ Red, ½ yellow
Weight Watchers Points: Instant Pot Greek Lemon, Chicken, and Brown Rice Soup
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 280Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 27g
Nutritional information provided is approximate and for informational purposes only.
If you guys give this healthier Greek Lemon, Chicken, and Brown Rice Soup recipe a try, let me know what you think! You can leave a comment below or tag me on Insta @thefoodieandthefix. Or if you’re in my private Facebook group, I’d love to see a photo of your creation in there! I hope you enjoy ♥
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