Vegetarian Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chickpea Soup)

Name: Vegetarian Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chickpea Soup)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp olive oil (15 mL); 1 medium yellow onion (finely diced); 1 cup diced carrots (about 2 to 3 carrots); 1 cup diced celery (about 3 to 4 ribs celery); ½ cup chopped green onion (about 4 green onions); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 6 cups vegetable broth (1.4 L); 1 cup white rice (any type, we used arborio, see notes for using brown rice, 200 g); 2 15-oz cans chickpeas (undrained, 425 g cans); 2 bay leaves; ½ tsp ground black pepper; ¼ tsp salt; 3 large eggs; ½ cup lemon juice (120 mL); 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill

By Sarah Bond, BS Nutrition, MS Sensory Science, Published Feb 14, 2025

4.56 from 18 ratings

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40 minutes

Serves 4 servings

42 Comments

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Craving a bowl of cozy Mediterranean comfort food? This vegetarian avgolemono soup is rich, creamy, and packed with bright lemon flavor! Inspired by the Greek classic, it keeps the same signature tang and velvety texture (just with a vegetarian twist).

Avgolemono soup is a traditional Greek dish with chicken, rice, and veggies in a lemony broth. It’s made by tempering fresh lemon juice and eggs into the broth, giving you a bright, zesty kick and a silky, creamy consistency (without a drop of dairy!).

Our plant-based take swaps chicken for chickpeas, keeping all the cozy, comforting flavors of the original while making it meat-free. With simple ingredients and our easy-to-follow steps, you’ll have a light yet satisfying Greek dinner ready in no time!

Greek Cooking At Its Finest

Weeknight-Friendly: Easy-to-find ingredients, minimal prep, and a hands-off simmer make this the stress-free dinner you need on busy weeknights.
Skips The Heaviness: The broth is light yet creamy, so you get all the cozy, comforting flavors without feeling weighed down.
One-Pot Meal: Just toss everything in and let it simmer to creamy perfection! Serve with homemade creamy tzatziki dipped in pita bread and baked feta for an easy, flavorful meal.

Reader rating

★★★★★

“Absolutely delicious! I substituted for orzo, so it had all my favorite things between that, the chickpeas, and lemon flavor. Thank you for another new favorite recipe!” —Heather

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Grab These Ingredients

This arborio rice soup comes together with simple, pantry-friendly ingredients, most of which you probably already have on hand! Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.

Aromatics: We’ll use the classic flavor trio (a.k.a. mirepoix) to form our rich, aromatic base, green onion for a pop of flavor and color, and garlic (because no soup is complete without it!).
Vegetable Broth: Forms the foundation of our soup. For the best flavor, choose a good-quality vegetable broth or stock.
Seasonings: Bay leaves add a subtle earthiness, and salt and pepper are the ultimate flavor boosters!
Rice: Arborio rice gives the soup a perfectly hearty, creamy texture.
Chickpeas: These add plant-based protein and heartiness while keeping things vegetarian. You don’t need to drain or rinse them (we’ll add the whole can!).
Eggs: The secret to that signature silky texture in avgolemono soup.
Lemon Juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the brightest flavor!
Fresh Dill: Creates the perfect herbaceous finishing touch. You can swap for parsley if needed!

Use The Right Rice

Use arborio rice for extra creaminess! This short-grain rice releases starch as it cooks, giving the soup a naturally silky texture. If you’re using brown or wild rice, just note that it will take longer to cook, so plan for extra simmer time.

Let’s Make Soup

While it might sound fancy, this Greek lemon soup is surprisingly easy to make and comes together in just one pot! This is an overview of the recipe. Jump to the recipe card for the full printable recipe.

Make the flavor base by sauteing the aromatics.
Assemble and cook the broth, rice, chickpeas, and seasonings.
Separate and whisk the egg whites and yolks. Drizzle the yolks into the whites, then whisk in the lemon juice.
Temper the eggs by drizzling a ladleful of hot broth from the soup into them. Continue adding broth until the egg mixture is warm.
Stir the egg mixture and dill into the pot. Serve warm!

Temper Your Eggs

Don’t skip tempering the eggs, which prevents curdling! Instead of adding them straight to the hot broth (which can lead to scrambled eggs), slowly whisk in a few ladles of warm broth to gently raise their temperature. Once they’re warmed up, stir them back into the pot for that signature creamy, velvety texture.

Sautéing veggies in a pan. — Dice your veggies evenly for the perfect balance of flavors in every spoonful.

Whisking egg whites and yolks separately. — Keep the heat low when adding the tempered egg mixture back to the broth for a silky, creamy consistency.

Storage

Let your avgolemono soup cool before transferring it to an airtight container. You can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days (hello, meal prep!).

If you’re planning even further ahead, make the soup and freeze it in airtight containers or mason jars (yes, you can freeze this soup because it doesn’t contain cream!). When ready, thaw and warm it over low heat on the stovetop, avoiding boiling to prevent the eggs from curdling.

Try These Pairing ideas

This Greek dinner is packed with bright lemon flavor, so round out your meal with more Mediterranean classics! Here are a few of our favorite ideas.

Parsley Salad: The light, crisp, refreshing textures and flavors perfectly balance this velvety soup.
Roasted Chickpea Gyros: Pair your soup with a warm, fluffy pita for a Mediterranean twist on your usual soup and sandwich combo.
And for dessert, make my lemon posset (with silken tofu)!

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