Chicken and Rice Soup with Egg and Lemon

Chicken and Rice Soup with Egg and Lemon



1 chicken, 3-4 pounds, cut in pieces
12 cups of water
2 cups of round rice (see shopping tip) or orzo
sea salt
ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 eggs
juice of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon of water
Preparation:
Clean chicken and remove skin and fat.

Place the chicken in a large stock pot and add water. Bring to a full boil. Skim off any foam that rises to the top. When the foam stops, reduce heat, cover the soup and simmer until the chicken meat is falling off the bone, (depending on weight, about 2 hours or more).

Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Strain the broth, return to the pot, and bring to a boil. Add the rice (or orzo), salt, pepper, oregano, and olive oil. Reduce heat, and simmer until the rice is done, approximately 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.

While the rice is cooking, bone the chicken and cut the meat into pieces.

In a mixing bowl, beat or whisk the egg whites until foamy. (If using an electric mixer, use speed 3.) Beat in egg yolks, water, and lemon juice. Fill a measuring cup or coffee cup with hot soup broth and add slowly, beating (or whisking) continuously. If the hot liquid is added too quickly, the mixture will curdle. When the mix is fully blended, stir the soup and pour in the egg-lemon mixture slowly. Shake the pot gently to distribute. Do not stir.

Add the chicken meat to the soup and serve.
Yield: serves 8-10

Allow each person to add as much freshly ground black pepper as desired.

Shopping tip: Round rice is best for this dish and if not available in your local market, can be found in Asian and other ethnic markets (may be labeled "pearl" rice). First choice as a substitute would be orzo or Italian risotto, and last choice would be regular short-grain rice. Long-grain rice is not a good choice for this dish.

This looks like the "Lemon Rice Soup" that an ethnic restaurant here makes. It is so good. I'd never heard of putting lemon in soup before until I tried it, but it's delicious.

I'll have to give it a try. Thanks Amy.