Avgolemono sauce is a creamy, lemony sauce and a staple in Greek cuisine. This traditional Greek egg-lemon sauce can be used to flavor soups, meats, and especially dolmadakia!
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Fans of Greek food may be familiar with avgolemono soup, a lemony chicken soup, sort of like a creamier version of this Indian lemon coriander soup. This avgolemono sauce recipe is similar to the soup in terms of flavor and can be drizzled over fish, chicken, pork, salads, grape leaf dolmada, cabbage rolls, and more!
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🥣 What is Avgolemono?
"Avgolemono" can refer to either the creamy, lemony sauce, such as the one in this recipe, or it can refer to a hearty Greek soup. "Avgo" translates to "egg", and "lemono" is, of course, "lemon". The name refers to the two essential components of both the soup and the sauce.
Greek Avgolemono soup is a creamy, comforting soup that usually features chicken and rice or orzo. This soup is great for when you're sick, much like a Greek rendition of chicken noodle soup. The sauce we'll be making is usually added to this soup, but it can also be enjoyed as a condiment with a variety of Greek dishes.
Traditionally, the sauce is made using whole eggs, which gives it a silky, creamy texture, great for drizzling and dipping. This is the method used in this recipe. The egg whites are more likely to curdle during the cooking process than the egg yolks, so some versions omit the whites entirely. This results in a rich, thick glaze-like sauce with a more opaque yellow color.
Both versions of the sauce are delicious, and it really comes down to personal preference. If you choose to omit the egg whites, add an additional yolk.
😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Avgolemono sauce can be whipped up in a matter of minutes.
- This simple sauce requires only a few kitchen staples you likely already have on hand.
- There are many ways to enjoy this sauce - feel free to get creative!
- Being able to prepare a good avgolemono sauce is an accomplishment, much like a good hollandaise - great for impressing family and friends.
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Eggs: Make sure they come to room temperature before use.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice is ideal, but bottled can be used as well.
- Broth: Vegetable or chicken broth. You can use 2-3 cups, depending on how thick you want it.
- Corn starch: You can also use tapioca starch or wheat flour.
- Smoked paprika: I like to finish it off with a light dusting of smoked paprika before serving (optional).
🍋 How To Make Avgolemono Sauce
Step 1: Warm broth in a saucepan over low heat. Meanwhile, beat room temperature eggs until they are frothy, then slowly incorporate lemon juice until fully combined.
Step 2: Remove the broth from the heat when it is hot but not boiling, then allow it to cool for 2-3 minutes. Then, while vigorously beating the egg mixture in a medium bowl, begin to ladle in small spoonfuls of broth until consistent.
Pro Tip: I recommend using an immersion blender because it helps prevent the sauce from curdling by evenly incorporating the hot broth into the egg mixture, while also smoothing out any small bits of cooked egg.
Step 3: Add avgolemono sauce back to the pot, then mix in cornstarch, stirring constantly over low heat until thickened and evenly warmed. Do not allow it to boil.
Pro Tip: Stir the mixture with a spoon, rather than a whisk, once it's on the stove to minimize excess froth. You can remove any excess foam with a fine mesh skimmer.
Step 4: Remove from the stove and serve.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Avgolemono sauce can be served with a wide variety of dishes, but here are a few to get you started:
Pair it with this Greek chicken souvlaki recipe, meatballs, pork, this Turkish eggs recipe, or frozen salmon in air fryer.
Drizzle it over lemon dill rice, Greek cucumber salad or smoked salmon salad, Ukrainian stuffed cabbage, or other stuffed vegetables.
Mix it into avgolemono soup, zupa ogórkowa, swiss chard soup, etc.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
"Avgo" translates to "egg", and "lemono" is, of course, "lemon". "Avgolemono" refers to the two essential ingredients needed to make this sauce and/or soup.
Avgolemono sauce is made with eggs, lemon juice, and broth. Sometimes flour or cornstarch is added to help thicken the sauce.
The key is to use room temperature eggs and to temper them by slowly whisking warm broth into the egg and lemon mixture. The sauce should be kept warm while on the stove, but should never reach a boiling temperature. Adding a bit of cornstarch or flour can also help prevent curdling.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- If using an immersion blender, try to keep it submerged and avoid moving it up and down. This will keep it from getting too foamy.
- You could use a hand mixer or even a whisk instead of an immersion blender; just be extra careful to mix consistently.
- The order in which the ingredients are added should not be altered for this recipe.
- It's important to add the broth gradually, rather than all at once, as this will allow the egg mixture to slowly increase in temperature, preventing curdling.
- Store leftover avgolemono sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Reheat over very low heat, stirring often. Do not allow it to come to a boil, or it will curdle.
🍯 More Delicious Sauce Recipes
If you enjoy this avgolemon sauce, give these other tasty sauces a try!
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📖 Recipe
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Warm broth in a saucepan over low heat. Meanwhile, beat room temperature eggs until they are frothy, then slowly incorporate lemon juice until fully combined.
- Remove the broth from the heat when it is hot but not boiling, then allow it to cool for 2-3 minutes. Then, while vigorously beating the egg mixture in a medium bowl, begin to ladle in small spoonfuls of broth until consistent.
- Add avgolemono sauce back to the pot, then mix in cornstarch, stirring constantly over low heat until thickened and evenly warmed. Do not allow it to boil.
- Remove from stove and serve.
Nutrition
Notes
- I recommend using an immersion blender because it helps prevent the sauce from curdling by evenly incorporating the hot broth into the egg mixture, while also smoothing out any small bits of cooked egg.
- Stir the mixture with a spoon, rather than a whisk once it's on the stove to minimize excess froth. You can remove any excess foam with a fine mesh skimmer.
- If using an immersion blender, try to keep it submerged and avoid moving it up and down. This will keep it from getting too foamy.
- You could use a hand mixer or even a whisk instead of an immersion blender; just be extra careful to mix consistently.
- The order in which the ingredients are added should not be altered for this recipe.
- It's important to add the broth gradually, rather than all at once, as this will allow the egg mixture to slowly increase in temperature, preventing curdling.
- Store leftover avgolemono sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Reheat over very low heat, stirring often. Do not allow it to come to a boil, or it will curdle.
Nena Sterner says
We hope you enjoy this recipe!