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This paleo Greek lemon chicken soup is comforting, fresh, and nourishing! It’s low carb, whole30 compliant, and is easily modified to be keto and AIP.

What is Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (or Avgolemono)?

Avgolemono is a Greek Chicken Soup that’s traditionally made with rice (or some use orzo), chicken, vegetables, eggs, and lots of lemon and fresh herbs! Not only is this soup crazy flavorful, but it is nutrient-dense and healthy! Tons of veggies, herbs, good quality fats, and nourishing chicken broth. All of these ingredients make it super filling as well.

This soup is also a great transitional recipe between summer and fall, as well as winter and spring. Because it’s a soup, it’s warm and nourishing by nature, but the lemon and veggies also make for an incredibly light and refreshing meal.

This is my take on the classic! It’s not traditional, but this particular recipe is paleo, gluten-free, and grain-free, and can be modified to be keto and AIP-friendly.

The Ingredients You’ll Need for the Paleo Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

  • Chicken and chicken broth. You can make your own broth from a whole chicken and save the shredded chicken for the soup (which is my preferred method) or you can make them separately.
  • Onion and carrot. If you’re very low carb or keto, you can leave out the carrots.
  • Cauliflower rice. Traditionally this soup is made with rice, so this is the rice substitute. Of course, you can add rice if you want, but you would also need to add more broth as the rice absorbs a lot of broth.
  • Egg yolks (omit for AIP). Egg yolks give the soup a big healthy fat boost, tons of added flavor, and some added yellow coloring. This really thickens the soup and makes it what it is!

How to Make Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

  • Prep the soup base. Saute the onions. Add the carrots and cauliflower rice and saute for an additional 5 minutes or until slightly softened. Pour in the broth, lemon juice, and herbs and stir well to combine. Simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the cooked chicken and kale and stir to wilt the kale.
  • Temper the eggs. In a small bowl whisk together the egg yolks until fully scrambled. Scoop out about a cup of hot broth from the soup. Slowly and carefully pour the cup of hot broth into the egg mixture while continuing to whisk. This will gently cook the egg yolks and make a thick sauce. Pour the yolk mixture into the rest of the soup and stir well to combine. Remove from the heat.

  • Serve! 

Tips & Tricks for Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

  • Use fresh lemon. It makes a big difference in the flavor!
  • Save time with pre-cooked chicken. Using something like a good quality rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken is a big time saver.

Is Greek Lemon Chicken Soup Healthy?

Healthy is always a subjective concept, but this soup is super wholesome! It’s packed with veggies, healthy protein, and herbs.

Can you freeze Greek Lemon Chicken Soup?

I think this soup is best fresh, but you can also freeze it if needed.

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Paleo Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Low Carb, Keto, Whole30, AIP)

★★★★★

5 from 34 reviews
  • Author: Michelle
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
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Description

This paleo Greek lemon chicken soup is comforting, fresh, and nourishing! It’s low carb, whole30 compliant, and is easily modified to be keto and AIP.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup carrot, diced
  • 2 cups cauliflower, riced
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1 lb shredded chicken, precooked
  • 1 tsp dried dill
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley (reserve some for topping)
  • 1 tsp salt (salt further to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)
  • 1 cup kale, chopped
  • 3 egg yolks (omit for AIP)
  • Lemon wedges and lemon zest to serve

Instructions

  1.  Using a large stockpot, heat the oil on medium-low heat.
  2. Saute the onions on low heat for 3-4 minutes or until lightly translucent. Add the carrots and cauliflower rice and saute for an additional 5 minutes or until slightly softened.
  3. Pour in the broth, lemon juice, and herbs and stir well to combine. Simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the cooked chicken and kale and stir to wilt the kale for about 4-5 minutes.
  4. (Skip this step for AIP)  In a small bowl whisk together the egg yolks until fully scrambled. Scoop out about a cup of hot broth from the soup. Slowly and carefully pour the cup of hot broth into the egg mixture while continuing to whisk. This will gently cook the egg yolks and make a thick sauce. Pour the yolk mixture into the rest of the soup and stir well to combine. Remove from the heat.
  5. Allow the soup to cool and season further to taste. Serve with lemon wedges and fresh parsley.

Notes

All nutritional information are estimations and will vary. Nutritional facts do not include optional ingredients.

  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: Greek

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 288
  • Fat: 11.3g
  • Carbohydrates: 18.8g
  • Fiber: 2.9g
  • Protein: 30.4g

this recipe was published is 2018 and updated in 2023.