Greek · Authentic-ish Greek
Avgolemono
387 kcal a serving, against 627 for the traditional version. That is 240 kcal off, or 38%, with 41.1g of protein. Serves 6. 45 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A whole chicken or skin-on thighs boiled for a long time to make a rich, slick broth. A heavy handful of starchy short-grain rice cooked until extremely soft. A massive dose of pure egg yolks whisked with raw lemon juice, used to thicken the boiling soup into a dense, velvety custard.
What changed, and what each change costs
Skin-on chicken thighs down to skinless chicken breasts
Chicken skin adds huge amounts of fat to the broth, which you don't need here. Using lean breast meat keeps the protein very high and leaves the cooking liquid perfectly clean.
What it costs you. Breast meat dries out rapidly if you boil it to death. You miss the deep, roasted, complex flavour that rendered skin brings to the party. You have to watch the clock closely.
120g of pure egg yolks down to 150g of whole eggs
Yolks are incredibly dense in fat. Whole eggs give you the thickening power of the yolk but bring in the lean protein of the egg white. This changes the soup completely.
What it costs you. This is a delicate balancing act. Nobody is going to mistake it for a foolproof emulsion. Egg whites curdle much faster than yolks if the soup is too hot, so you risk scrambling the whole pan if you rush.
200g of arborio rice down to 120g
Dropping the starch shifts the balance of the bowl towards the chicken and the sharp broth. You still get enough rice to make it a meal.
What it costs you. The soup ends up slightly thinner. You don't get that heavy, starchy porridge texture that some traditional recipes lean into for comfort.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 627 | 387 |
| Protein | 34g | 41.1g |
| Fat | 35.7g | 10.7g |
| Saturated fat | 9.5g | 2.6g |
| Carbohydrate | 39.8g | 28.6g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 5.4g | 10.6g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Greek prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. eggs.
The method is in the book
The lemon hits you right at the front of your palate. By cutting the heavy fat of the egg yolks and the chicken skin, the citrus cuts through even sharper. You lose the heavy, rich custard feel of a pure yolk soup, but you gain a massive, vibrant bowl of bright food. It feels like a proper, satisfying meal that leaves you feeling great.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Greek, along with 56 more. Buy the paperback