Description
Lemony Greek Chickpea Soup is a vibrant and protein-packed vegetarian dish inspired by the classic Avgolemono Soup. Featuring a fragrant, silky broth with orzo and fresh vegetables, this soup is ready in just over 30 minutes and perfect for a comforting meal.
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
- 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
- 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. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and lemon peel and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute until aromatic.
- Simmer the soup: Add vegetable broth to the pot and increase heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add chickpeas, orzo, salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Simmer uncovered over medium-high heat for 10 minutes until orzo is al dente. Reduce heat to low and remove 3/4 cup of hot broth from the soup; set aside.
- Prepare egg-lemon mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together whole eggs, egg yolks, and half of the lemon juice. While whisking constantly, very slowly stream the reserved hot broth into the egg mixture to temper the eggs and prevent scrambling.
- Combine mixture back into soup: While gently stirring the soup with a wooden spoon or ladle, stream the tempered egg-broth mixture back into the pot. Add the kale and cook over low heat for 5 minutes until the broth thickens slightly and the greens wilt. Remove lemon peels.
- Finish and serve: Stir in chopped fresh dill and adjust seasonings as needed. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with extra dill, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
Notes
- Tempering the eggs slowly with hot broth is essential to avoid scrambled eggs in the soup.
- Substitute kale with spinach, Swiss chard, or escarole if preferred.
- Use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth for a non-vegetarian version.
- To make the soup gluten-free, substitute orzo with gluten-free pasta or omit it altogether.
- For a thicker soup, allow it to simmer a bit longer after adding the egg mixture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.66 cups
- Calories: 340 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 890 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
