Description
Lemony Greek Chickpea Soup is a vibrant, protein-packed vegetarian soup inspired by traditional Avgolemono flavors. Featuring tender chickpeas, orzo pasta, kale, and a bright lemon-egg broth, this comforting soup is fragrant, silky, and ready in just over 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow or sweet onion
- 3/4 cup finely chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 2 (2-inch) strips lemon peel
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 quarts (8 cups) lower-sodium vegetable broth (substitute chicken broth if not making vegetarian)
- 2 (15.5-oz.) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 3/4 cup dry orzo pasta (regular or whole-wheat)
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
Egg-Lemon Mixture
- 2 large whole eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, divided
Greens and Garnish
- 3 handfuls roughly chopped or shredded kale (substitute spinach, Swiss chard, or escarole)
- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add chopped onion, carrots, celery, and lemon peel strips. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add garlic: Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant and aromatic.
- Simmer the soup: Pour in the broth and increase heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Add rinsed chickpeas, orzo pasta, kosher salt, black pepper, and dried oregano. Simmer uncovered over medium-high heat for 10 minutes until the orzo is al dente.
- Prepare egg-lemon mixture: Reduce heat to low. Remove 3/4 cup hot broth from the pot and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together whole eggs, egg yolks, and half of the lemon juice. Slowly drizzle the reserved hot broth into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs and avoid scrambling.
- Combine egg mixture with soup: Slowly pour the tempered egg-broth mixture back into the pot while gently stirring the soup with a wooden spoon or ladle. Add chopped kale and cook over low heat for 5 minutes until the broth thickens slightly and the greens wilt. Remove the lemon peel strips.
- Finish and serve: Stir in chopped fresh dill and taste to adjust seasonings as needed. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with extra fresh dill, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
Notes
- Tempering the eggs slowly with hot broth is key to avoiding scrambled eggs in the soup.
- You can substitute chicken broth if you do not need the recipe to be vegetarian.
- Alternative greens like spinach, Swiss chard, or escarole work well instead of kale.
- Using whole wheat orzo boosts fiber content.
- Serve with crusty bread for a heartier meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.66 cups
- Calories: 340 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 890 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
