Lemon Chicken Soup fans rejoice, this Greek Lemon Meatball Soup might be even better than the original. You still get that creamy, tangy delicious flavor and tons of healthy veggies, but instead of chicken we’re adding mini turkey meatballs that will have even the die hard LCS fans switching up their style. There is a traditional Greek version of this soup (Youvarlakia Avgolemono), but keep in mind this is not traditional and just my take on the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground turkey 93% lean
- 1 egg
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano chopped
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs or almond flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Greek-Style Lemon Soup:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 large zucchini diced
- 1/2 cup uncooked orzo or 1 cup cauliflower rice
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp minced fresh oregano
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 3 large egg yolks
- Juice from 1-2 lemons, to taste
Instructions
- First, make the meatballs by combining all ingredients until well combined. I use my hands!
- Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook until lightly golden brown, 1-2 minutes on each side. Set the meatballs aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pot along with the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in the zucchini and cauliflower rice (but not the orzo if using, as this will go in later as it cooks faster), dill, parsley, and oregano. Add the chicken broth and return the meatballs to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. If using orzo, add to the soup and continue simmering until the orzo is al dente, 7 to 9 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Remove 1 cup of hot broth in a spouted measuring cup and slowly pour the hot broth, 1 tbsp at a time, into the egg yolks while whisking to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Whisk mixture and lemon juice into the soup pot.
- Serve garnished with fresh herbs and seasoning to taste!
amazing! This might be the first time I followed a recipe to the letter (using 2 lemons), and was so glad I did. I wasn’t sure about the size of the meatballs, but that probably isn’t too important. I ended up making them one and a half inches in size – which was about 2 dozen. Don’t skip the fresh herbs! Thanks for the great recipe!
Quite Possible the best soup i have EVER made. I want to make it over and over again!!
This is the perfect soup on a cold night. I was at first intimidated by the egg yolk process but it was so easy and you explained it so well in the post! Thanks for making such easy meals
Anyone i make this for raves about it and begs for the recipe! If im feeling lazy I’ll buy store bought mini meatballs. Such a good one!!
Did not think the lemon chicken could get any better but the turkey meatballs take it to another level! Soup season got an upgrade in my kitchen
Going to try
Excited to eat this but guessing the amount of lemon to be used as it isnt included in the necessary ingredients!
Just added! Thanks for letting me know 🙂