Easy Greek-style tender, herby meatballs in a lusciously creamy, light lemon soup!
Youvarlakia Avgolemono is a traditional Greek soup made with tender meatballs simmered in a flavorful broth, then enriched with a creamy and tangy egg-lemon (avgolemono) sauce. It’s light yet hearty and perfect for a cozy meal any time of the year. Serve it with a side of crusty bread to soak up the delicious broth!
If you’ve ever had that Greek lemony chicken soup with orzo and liked it, you’re going to love this one. It’s so much easier to make than you might think because I let the food processor do the chopping, and I don’t even cook the rice before adding it to the meatball mixture. The lemon sauce comes together with just a whisk, and I can’t wait for you to taste how silky and creamy it makes the soup.
Why will we love this soup?
Soft, tender,
Melt-in-your-mouth
Garlicky, herb,
Beefy meatballs
Creamy, brothy, luscious
Light lemony sauce
What do I need for the meatballs?
Ground beef -I like to use a little leaner beef for this, but whatever you have will work.
Uncooked rice -it may be unusual to use uncooked rice, but cooking the meatballs in the broth allows the rice to soak up all the juices from the meatballs as they cook, so you don’t miss a drop of flavor.
Onion -peeled and quartered so the food processor can finely chop it.
Garlic -minced cloves almost melt into the meatballs and add a ton of flavor.
Fresh parsley –finely chopping this in the food processor, too, ensures every bite of the meatball has herb flavor.
Dried mint –adds so much cool freshness to the meatballs.
Salt & freshly ground pepper -adjust the level of seasoning you like.
Egg -use the whole egg to help bind the meatballs together.
Olive oil -adds delicious moisture.
What do I need to make the lemon soup?
Chicken broth -or chicken stock to add depth of flavor to the lemon sauce.
Egg yolks -I can’t tell you how much luscious creamy texture this adds to the soup.
Lemon juice -freshly squeezed is essential because it’s the prominent flavor. Save the bottled stuff for cleaning. I love fresh lemon juice, so I add more than the recipe calls for, and you can, too, if you like.
Cornstarch -helps to thicken the soup without having to make a rue.
Dried dill -brightens the lemon and adds even more freshness.
Olive oil -a delicious extra virgin would be best, but regular olive oil would help create the creamy base for the soup.
How do I get started?
Pulse an onion in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment until finely chopped. Add it to a large bowl along with the ground beef. Then, pulse the parsley in the food processor until finely chopped and add it to the bowl.
How do I form the meatballs?
Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Roll the meatballs out into golf ball sized balls and place them in a large dish or on a baking tray.
How do I cook the meatballs?
Bring the chicken broth to a simmer in a large pot and carefully drop the meatballs in. Cover the pot and let them simmer for 30 minutes. Skim off any foam that rises to the top.
How do I make the lemon sauce?
Whisk the egg yolks, lemon juice, cornstarch, dill, and olive oil until combined and frothy. Slowly ladle one cup of the hot stock into the egg-lemon mixture while whisking constantly. Then, add another ladle of hot liquid while whisking. This will prevent the egg from scrambling and create a creamy sauce for the soup.
How do I pull it all together?
Add the egg-lemon mixture to the soup and simmer for a few minutes until the soup thickens. Be sure not to disturb the meatballs too much so they don’t break apart. Taste and add more salt if needed.
How do I serve Youvarlakia Avgolemono: Greek meatball Soup in Lemon Sauce?
All you need to serve this is some crusty bread to soak up every drop of the delicious lemon sauce. Enjoy!
Do you have more lemony soup?
Lemony Chicken & Tortellini Soup Avgolemono
Lemony White Bean & Chicken Soup
Instant Pot Greek Lemony Chicken & Orzo Soup
Greek Chicken Avgolemono Soup: Lemony Chicken Soup – 2 Ways
Psarosoupa: Greek-Style Lemony Fish Soup
Watch the Video:
Youvarlakia Avgolemono: Greek meatball Soup in Lemon Sauce
Youvarlakia Avgolemono is a traditional Greek soup made with tender meatballs simmered in a flavorful broth, then enriched with a creamy and tangy egg-lemon (avgolemono) sauce. It's hearty, comforting, and perfect for a cozy meal any time of the year. Serve it with a side of crusty bread to soak up the delicious broth!
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 3/4 cup rice, uncooked
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small bunch fresh parsley
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the soup:
- 3 quarts chicken broth
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup lemon juice, juice of 2 lemons (approx.)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Pulse an onion in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment until finely chopped. Add it to a large bowl along with the ground beef.
- Pulse the parsley in the food processor until finely chopped and add it to the bowl.
- Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
- Roll the meatballs out into golf ball sized balls and place in a large dish or baking tray.
- Bring the broth to a simmer and then carefully drop the meatballs into the pot.
- Cover the pot and let them simmer for 30 minutes. Skim any froth that rises to the top.
- Whisk the egg yolks, lemon juice, cornstarch, dill and olive oil until combined and frothy.
- Ladle one cup of the hot stock into the egg-lemon mixture and whisk. Add another ladle of hot liquid and whisk well. This will prevent the egg from scrambling and will create a creamy sauce for the soup.
- Add egg-lemon mixture back to the soup and allow to simmer a few minutes. The soup will thicken.
- Taste it for seasoning and add more salt if needed.
- Serve with some crusty bread.
- Enjoy!
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Very good recipe it was delicious
Thanks
This was delicious. I tweaked a little. My yiayia and mom taught me, Roll the meatballs in a little flour before dropping them into the hot stock. These meatballs were probably the best I’ve ever made. I did omit the mint as I’m not a fan of it in my Avgolemono and I added more lemon and dill bc why not!! ☺️ chefs kiss! Thanks so much for a lovely, easy recipe.
That sounds absolutely delicious! Rolling the meatballs in flour is such a classic trick—it helps thicken the broth a little and gives them a lovely texture. And yes to extra lemon and dill—always! 😊 So glad you enjoyed it and that it brought back those beautiful family traditions. Thank you for sharing! 💙👩🍳
I was wondering which is your recommended recipe…the video includes dried mint, but the written recipe only calls for dried dill, which is preferred?