Name: Lemon Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon olive oil; 1 cup diced yellow onion; 32 ounces low sodium chicken broth; 12 ounces cauliflower, riced (I used a bag of frozen defrosted cauliflower rice); 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill, divided; Zest of a lemon; 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice; Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste; 4 teaspoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch; 2 eggs, whisked; 1 pound cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, shredded

A delicious and low-carb alternative to chicken and rice soup! This Lemon Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup is easy to make and full of fresh flavor!

I’m sticking with the soup theme this week and this Lemon Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup is right up there with the Curried Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Soup on the flavor scale. It’s a completely different kind of soup, so if creamy soups aren’t your thing and you prefer a soup with meat, then this is the one for you!

I’ve been wanting to try making the Greek lemon chicken and rice soup also known as Avgolemono. You all know I’m a big fan of Greek food, so it was time to test out one of their traditional soups. Of course there’s really nothing traditional about the version of the recipe I created, but the idea is still there and most of the key ingredients.

I wanted this to be an easy soup, but one that had plenty of flavor. A lot of times, soup can be lacking in flavor if it isn’t cooked for a long period of time. I assure you that this is not one of those soups. Even though the ingredient list is on the shorter side for a soup, there are two in here that give it a punch of flavor.

Lemon is the key ingredient. It adds a sharp citrus bite to the soup that pairs perfectly with the other crucial ingredient, fresh dill. While looking at multiple recipes for the traditional Avgolemono soup, I didn’t find any that called for dill. However, it seemed to me like it would be a great addition since lemon and dill are a classic flavor pairing. I definitely think it was the right move adding it in! So much freshness to go along with the lemon. I always feel like soup needs some sort of fresh herb added in.

The soup is broth based, but another key ingredient and one you may not have expected is eggs. The eggs are tempered into the broth so they don’t scramble, because no one wants scrambled egg soup. They give it a little creaminess and rich flavor without the use of dairy.

I decided to use cauliflower rice in the soup versus regular rice for a few reasons. First and foremost, I love cauliflower rice. It’s also a great way to add a vegetable into this soup, greatly reduces the carbs if that’s important to you and the cooking time is faster. The texture that you would get from rice is still there and since rice alone really doesn’t have much flavor you won’t be missing anything. This is a great soup to try if you’re looking for something a little different than the traditional chicken and rice soup.

Lemon Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
32 ounces low sodium chicken broth
12 ounces cauliflower, riced (I used a bag of frozen defrosted cauliflower rice)
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill, divided
Zest of a lemon
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
4 teaspoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
2 eggs, whisked
1 pound cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, shredded

Instructions

Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add in the diced onion and sauté 2-3 minutes. Add in 1 tablespoon of the fresh chopped dill, lemon zest and the chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
Add in the cauliflower rice and simmer until it's tender, about 6-8 minutes.
In a small bowl whisk the arrowroot powder (or cornstarch) and lemon juice together until the arrowroot is dissolved.
Whisk the eggs into the lemon juice mixture then slowly ladle in about 1-2 cups of the broth whisking the entire time so that the eggs don't curdle. Once the mixture comes to temperature whisk it back into the soup pot. Continue to stir the mixture until it thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
Add in the shredded chicken and remaining tablespoon of chopped dill. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve the soup topped with thin lemon slices and extra dill if desired.