Avgolemono Chicken Soup With Gnocchi

By Carolina Gelen

Published April 25, 2025

Avgolemono Chicken Soup With Gnocchi
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
5(1,151)
Comments
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This no-fuss, one-pot recipe is inspired by avgolemono soup, a traditional Greek rice soup that is prized for its silky texture and bright flavor, thanks to egg yolks and an invigorating dose of lemon. This soup achieves similar results while replacing the rice with store-bought gnocchi for a heartier take and a texture boost. The approach is simple: Simmer rotisserie chicken with stock, lemon zest and gnocchi, then thicken the soup with egg yolks and lemon juice. To prevent the eggs from curdling in the soup, you’ll want to first temper them by whisking some of the warm stock into the egg yolks before stirring the mixture back into the soup. Finish everything with torn fresh dill, lemon zest and black pepper for the perfect spoonful.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • 2quarts chicken stock (preferably homemade)
  • 3cups torn rotisserie chicken (or other cooked chicken)
  • 3medium lemons
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1pound shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi
  • 5egg yolks (see Tip to save the egg whites)
  • 4garlic cloves, grated
  • Fresh dill (optional), for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

435 calories; 18 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 27 grams protein; 1227 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    To a large pot over high, add the chicken stock, torn chicken and 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (from about 1 lemon). Add a hefty pinch of salt (remember, you are seasoning a lot of liquid!) and a few cracks of black pepper and bring to a boil over high. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add the gnocchi to the soup and continue simmering for 3 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, squeeze enough lemon juice into a heatproof liquid measuring cup to get ½ cup juice. Add the yolks and the garlic to the juice and whisk to combine.

  4. Step 4

    While constantly whisking, slowly stream 2 cups of the simmering chicken stock into the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs. Add the tempered yolk mixture to the pot all at once and stir to combine. Turn the heat off right after incorporating the eggs. Taste and season with more salt as needed.

  5. Step 5

    Serve with additional lemon zest on top, freshly cracked black pepper and dill, if using.

Tip

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,151 user ratings
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Comments

RudisHuman

I halved the recipe making for just myself. Wanted more stew than soup, so cut stock from 4 cups (1/2 recipe) to 2.5, simmering as specified. Worked fine. Sacrificed 2 XL eggs for the yolks, freezing the whites in a recycled condiment jar, labelled. Between those and the lemon juice, zest, came out looking like pix, but thicker. Between the starch from the gnocchi and the yolks, plus less broth than specified, it thickened nicely. I liked it. A lot. No dill but subbing fresh basil and rosemary worked out well. That and the add'l lemon peel (used a zester vs grater - easier and prettier too!) it was visually appealing and really delicious. Fast! and a good use for gnocchi in a quickly made one-dish meal. Definitely accompany with crusty French/sourdough bread. Will repeat!

YiaYia

You can use the egg whites in avgolemono (more protein!). Just beat whole eggs thoroughly & temper as directed, but extra slowly. A blender works really well here - that’s how my Greek mama taught me. The downside will be more curdled bits of egg white if you reheat the soup, but there were never leftovers in my family!

Penelope

@Maria thanks for sharing. When I saw gnocchi my Greek ness immediately felt offended. I will follow suit and see what it’s like replacing the white rice.

Jill

This was delicious!! I used leftover homemade turkey stock from thanksgiving, added a bag of frozen chopped spinach, and used three whole eggs instead of five yolks (because I was feeling extra lazy!). Yuuuummmm!! Oh, and chopped fresh parsley because I didn’t have dill.

AB

I thought the flavors were wonderful and the gnocchi was pretty disgusting texturally and overpowering. Will make with rice or orzo.

Devon

I love the avgolemono soup from a local Greek restaurant. I was excited to make this at home, but my husband doesn't like lemon dishes. He thinks they're too sour. So I substituted oranges! It was delicious. I zested and juiced two medium oranges, but didn't use all of either one. I eyeballed the volumes, but I think they were similar to the lemon in this recipe. So I guess I made avgoportokáli soup?

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