This Keto Chicken Soup recipe is a healthy take on the classic Greek Avoglemono soup. Light, simple, and full of fresh flavor, and it has only 5.3g net carbs per serving.
We often think of soup as being heavy, hearty comfort food. The sort of thing you might make in the dead of winter when you need to warm up. And I have plenty of those kinds of keto soup recipes, believe me.
But this Greek-style Chicken Lemon Soup is lighter fare and it’s just right for an easy spring meal. I first tasted Avgolemono Soup a long time ago when having lunch with my aunt. We were both instantly taken with the bright, fresh flavor.
And now I’ve made it keto-friendly! And if you love these flavors, you need to try my Sheet Pan Greek Lemon Chicken too.
Why you need to try this
Classic Avgolemono takes orzo or rice along with the chicken, egg, and lemon. You simply replace the orzo with cauliflower rice or another low carb rice option to make it keto appropriate.
If you happen to have a copy of Keto Soups & Stews, this soup will look mighty familiar. But I did change it up a bit, adding a touch more lemon juice for more flavor.
I also added more chicken for a low carb high protein recipe. It’s still as fresh-tasting as it ever was, but now it’s a little more satisfying. It has 6.7g of carbs and 34g of protein. And it has a mere 6.5g of fat, for those of you who need a lighter meal.
Did I mention that it takes only 30 minutes to make? Easy peasy lemon squeezy, as my husband would say.
Ingredients you need
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- Lemons: The bright flavor of this keto chicken soup comes from fresh lemon juice.
- Cooked chicken: You can make avgolemono easily with pre-cooked chicken. Rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken is fine, or you can quickly broil a few thighs or breasts in the oven.
- Chicken broth: Choose a good bone broth for added nutrition. You can use homemade or store-bought. I like Kettle & Fire when using store-bought broth.
- Bay leaf: Simmering a bay leaf in the broth helps make the flavor of this soup even brighter. Remember to remove it before serving!
- Cauliflower rice: Conventional avgolemono soup calls for orzo, but I use cauliflower rice to make it keto-friendly. You can also use konjac rice or hearts of palm rice.
- Egg: Whisking an egg into the lemon juice makes the resulting soup thicker and gives it a silky quality.
- Pantry staples: Olive oil, salt, pepper.
Step by Step Directions
Keto Lemon Chicken Soup is astonishingly easy to make. And the bright lemony flavor can’t be beat!
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onions and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until the onions are translucent.
2. Add the broth and bay leaf and bring to a simmer, then add the chicken and cauliflower rice. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the cauliflower rice is just tender.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and the egg. Slowly laden about 1 cup of hot broth from the soup into the lemon-egg mixture. Then slowly whisk the lemon egg mixture back into the saucepan.
4. Discard the bay leaf and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with lemon slices and chopped fresh parsley or green onions.
Expert Tips
Adding egg to hot soup takes some care. This isn’t meant to be like egg drop soup, where the egg gets cooked as it hits the hot liquid. Instead, it helps thicken the broth slightly and give it a creamy quality. So make sure you take the time to whisk the egg and broth slowly so that the egg doesn’t curdle.
If you want to cook the chicken in the soup itself, you can follow a similar method that I use for my Keto Thai Chicken Soup. You will want about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken. You can slice it thinly or cut into bite-sized pieces. Then add it into the broth in Step 2 and let cook 5 minutes or so before adding the cauliflower rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
A direct translation of avgolemono is “egg lemon”. It can refer to sauces made with eggs and lemon, as well as to the classic lemon chicken soup.
The conventional version of this soup contains rice or orzo, so it is not very low carb. But this Keto Lemon Chicken Soup is made with cauliflower rice instead. It has 6.7g of carbs and 1.4g of fiber, so it has only 5.3g net carbs per serving.
I recommend reheating this soup rather gently, so as not to curdle the egg. You can do it over medium low heat in a pan, or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring frequently.
More keto recipes you will enjoy
- Lemon Garlic Baked Halibut
- Keto Lemon Curd
- Buffalo Chicken Soup
- Easy Dijon Chicken
- Chopped Greek Chicken Salad
- Keto Spanakopita
- Creamy Feta Dressing
Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe (Avgolemono)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup (40 g) chopped onion
- Salt and pepper
- 3 1/2 cups (828.06 ml) chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups (420 g) chopped cooked chicken
- 2 cups (320 g) frozen cauliflower rice
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) lemon juice
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onions and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until the onions are translucent.
- Add the broth and bay leaf and bring to a simmer, then add the chicken and cauliflower rice. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the cauliflower rice is just tender.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and the egg. Slowly laden about 1 cup of hot broth from the soup into the lemon-egg mixture. Then slowly whisk the lemon egg mixture back into the saucepan.
- Discard the bay leaf and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with lemon slices and chopped fresh parsley or green onions.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I made this soup 3 days ago and it was a hit. A friend who loves anything lemon praised its clean lemony flavor. The most surprising part for me, besides how delicious it was, was that I didn’t detect any cauliflower taste! It was more like chopped rice. I added green onions to the top. This soup will be on repeat even this summer and better than the Greek restaurant near me (I think they use cornstarch to thicken, instead of the egg). Thanks for another great recipe.
Glad you liked it!
I’m all about all things lemon. Made it exactly like the recipe and it is so good. Do I have to share with the family ?! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I just made this delicious lemon chicken soup for lunch…
So lovely, it will become one of my stock recipes.
Thank you, Carolyn
Thanks so much!
I made this today– it’s super easy to put together quickly, and I really like it. I added some garlic, black pepper and also white pepper. Since there were some mentions in other reviews that the lemon flavor was very strong, I backed the lemon juice down to 1/3 c. It’s still a little too lemony for me at that level, so next time I’ll back down the lemon juice amount a little more. Just personal preference. In the meantime– for the lovely pot of soup I made today, I added a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream and that tempered the lemon flavor to personal perfection for me! I really like this soup– it’s cozy and satisfying, but not heavy. It’s great to have another keto friendly recipe for a dish I can make once, and use for multiple meals– and with ingredients I have in the house regularly. Thanks Carolyn!
this was an excellent flavored soup, light body but full of flavor. I added 3 cloves of crushed garlic as well. I’ll certainly make it again. Quick and tasty.
Thanks!
Carolyn, would quinoa be okay to use in this recipe?????
I don’t use quinoa so I am not sure when or how to add it in, but you are welcome to experiment!
This is another of Carolyn Ketchum’s “winner winner soup’s for dinner” meals! I’ve even made it for friends who are not on keto. It’s lemony 🍋 and so satisfying!