Although the basic Greek Avgolemono recipe is relatively simple, experience has shown me that it can be really tricky. If you have ever tried making your own Avgolemono (egg lemon sauce) before lots of things can go wrong leading to a disaster! The most common mistake is that the Avgolemono (egg lemon sauce) curdles and gets lumpy. To prevent you from making the same mistakes, I have put together this short and simple guide to the perfect Avgolemono sauce and help you succeed every single time.
Egg lemon sauce (Avgolemono) is the secret ingredient to finish off all these Greek dishes, as it acts as a thickening agent, giving a unique taste, creamy texture and a nice, tangy homely flavour.
Get started with this amazing egg lemon sauce (Avgolemono) recipe
To make the traditional Avgolemono recipe (egg lemon sauce) you will need 2-3 eggs (at room temperature), the juice of 2-3 lemons (depending on how lemony you want tour sauce to taste) and some broth.
The base ingredient for this Avgolemono recipe is the broth, which is made with the left over juices from whatever dish you’re cooking and cannot be prepared on it’s own. Dishes like chicken soup or stuffed cabbage rolls are ideal for this egg lemon sauce as they produce a rich in flavour broth which is perfect for this Avgolemono recipe.
Some tips for the perfect egg-lemon sauce (Avgolemono)
Once start to prepare this Avgolemono recipe make sure that the eggs are at room temperature, so that they are not shocked and curdle from the hot broth.
The stock or soup should be warm but not boiling hot. When you are done cooking your stock or soup remove the pan from the stove and let it cool for 5-10 minutes or add 1/2 a cup of cold water to halt the boiling process.
You need to add enough broth so that the egg mixture is at the same temperature as the broth of dish you are preparing.
The egg whites are more likely to curdle, as they tend to thicken up more quickly than the egg yolks when warmed so be sure to whisk vigorously and add the broth slowly.
An easy no fail version of Avgolemono sauce for beginners
If you haven’t tried making an Avgolemono recipe before, I have a little trick for you that will make your egg-lemon sauce impossible to fail. You will need the same ingredients as in the basic Avgolemono recipe with the addition of 1 tsp of corn strarch.
Into a bowl add the lemon juice and 1 tbsp of water, add the corn starch and whisk well until dissolved. Crack in the eggs and whisk very well. Add slowly some of the warm stock or soup and whisk quickly, add some more and whisk again so that the eggs warm up. Then pour gradually the egg mixture back into the pot, whilst constantly stirring and bring just below boiling point. Done!
Greek lemon Chicken Soup (Kotosoupa Avgolemono)
How to take your egg lemon sauce to the next level
This is the technique I use most of the time when making a Greek egg-lemon sauce (Avgolemono). It may take a little longer to prepare but it results in a creamier version of the sauce which is well worth the trouble!
Start off by separating the egg whites from the egg yolks. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and gradually add the lemon juice whist whisking until combined. In another bowl add the egg whites and whisk using a hand mixer until the egg whites are foamy and thick. While whisking slowly add the yolk mixture in the egg whites.
Continue whisking for 1-2 minutes and gradually add some of the hot broth, a litte bit at a time. Make sure you add the broth slowly or the egg whites will curdle! When done, pour the mixture back into the pot, stir well and leave for 5-10 minutes.
How to prepare Avgolemono sauce from soups that contain pieces of meat?
If the dish you are preparing is not a soup and contains pieces of meat, in order to achieve the very best texture on your Avgolemono sauce, you should separate the meat from the broth, strain the broth and place in a separate pan. Then prepare the egg lemon sauce in an other pan and combine with the meat at the end.
Serving with some crusty bread and digging into that delicious sauce is one of the reasons why I love this egg-lemon sauce! So don’t forget to get yourself some rustic, crusty bread and enjoy an amazingly tasty experience!
Traditional Greek Recipe ideas with Avgolemono sauce
The traditional Greek Avgolemono recipe can be a tricky affair. Not any more! Find out how to make the perfect egg lemon sauce with these 3 easy recipes and expert tips.
Ingredients
Scale
warm stock or broth from your prepared soup. You’ll need about 2-3 cups depending on how thick or runny you like your avgolemono.
To prepare the classic Avgolemono recipe, start by cracking the eggs into a bowl and whisk well.
Gradually add the lemon juice and whisk again to combine.
Add a little of the warm stock or soup and whisk quickly, add more and whisk again. The reason for slowly adding the broth is to gradually warm up the eggs so you don’t end up with an omelette instead of a sauce!
Pour gradually the egg mixture back into the pot, whilst constantly stirring and bring just below boiling point. Remove the pan from the stove and serve.
thank you so much. We had stuffed courgettes with the sauce on a terrace restaurant in Athens – a lovely Sunday full of Athenian families. I have been trying to re-create it and this/these recipes made it all possible. I am still on the basic recipe for the sauce but planning on moving up soon.
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How much broth?
You’ll need about 2-3 cups depending on how thick or runny you like your avgolemono.
thank you so much. We had stuffed courgettes with the sauce on a terrace restaurant in Athens – a lovely Sunday full of Athenian families. I have been trying to re-create it and this/these recipes made it all possible. I am still on the basic recipe for the sauce but planning on moving up soon.
Very yummy, but too thin. I don’t have cornstarch, so I used flour (roux). Still not think. Should I continue with the flour roux?