Avgolemono Soup

Easy Rating               2
Involvement              3
Prep Time                 15 min. + 15 min.
Cook Time                30 min.
Serves                      Serves 6
 
This soup is best eaten when it is cooked. Reheating may cause eggs to curdle.
 This can easily be halved.
 
What You Will Need:
2½       lb.                   Bone in Chicken Thighs (about 4 cups)
7          cup                 Chicken Broth(or Water)
½         TB                  Olive Oil
1          small              Onion (chopped)
1          tsp                 Coarse Salt
1½       cup                Carrot (shredded)
½         cup                Orzo (Zorzo for Paleo)
4          large              Eggs
⅓         cup                 Lemon Juice
2          TB.                 Fresh Dill (chopped)
Dash                          White Pepper
 
What You Do:
Prep
  1. Cook, cool and de-bone the chicken ( or get a rotisserie)
  2. Chop Onions and shred Carrots
  3. Spiralize or chop zucchini (if not using Orzo)
  4. Juice lemon and set aside
           
For the Chicken
  1. Place the chicken thighs in a crock-pot and cover with the 7 cups chicken broth or water. Cook on high for 4 hours, or until chicken is fall off the bone tender.
  2. Remove the chicken from the crock pot and allow it to cool down in a bowl. Do not discard the broth. Strain the broth through a mesh sieve and keep warm in the crock pot.
  3. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, separate the chicken from the bones. Shred the chicken just slightly. Set aside, keeping warm.
For the Soup
  1. Heat the olive oil in a stock pot over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and salt and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Do not brown. Add the carrot and sauté for another 2 minutes.
  2. Pour 1 cup of the broth from the crock pot into a blender and set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Add another 5 cups of the broth from the crock-pot to the stock pot containing the onion and carrot and bring to a simmer(Add more chicken stock if there is not 5 cups left of liquid to make up the difference).
  4. Once the stock is simmering, add the orzo. Cover the pot and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the orzo is tender.
  5. Add the eggs and lemon juice to the cooled stock in the blender and blend until the mixture is frothy.
  6. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the hot soup, stirring constantly until it is completely mixed in. Do not bring to a boil or eggs will curdle.
  7. Add the chicken, dill, and a dash of white pepper to the soup and stir until distributed.
  8. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.
  9. Serve immediately.