Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place the bone-in chicken in an Instant Pot and fully cover it with the water. If you’d like, add bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt for extra flavor. Secure the lid and pressure-cook on Manual for 25 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then carefully vent any remaining pressure.
- Take the chicken out of the pot and shred the meat. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl to remove any solids.
- In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the rice and toast it, stirring often, until the grains look opaque and smell nutty, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Pour the strained broth into the pot with the toasted rice. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered until the rice is tender, about 10 minutes.
- Finely chop or shred the reserved chicken and stir it back into the soup.
- While the rice is cooking and chicken is reheating, beat the egg whites with a whisk in a medium bowl until they become very frothy, almost reaching soft peaks. Gently whisk in the egg yolks and the freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Temper the egg mixture by gradually whisking in 3 to 4 cups of the hot soup broth, pouring slowly and whisking constantly to prevent scrambling. You may add up to half the broth to the eggs for a silky, smooth consistency.
- Take the soup off the heat. As you slowly stir the soup, pour in the tempered egg-lemon mixture. The residual heat will thicken the soup to a creamy, velvety texture. Add the chopped dill, season with salt and black pepper, and serve right away.
Nutrition
Notes
Rice or orzo can be used as the soup's grain; if you substitute rice for orzo or vice versa, adjust the cooking time as needed. If you prefer, you can use good-quality store-bought chicken broth for convenience, and shredded rotisserie chicken can also be used to save time. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat very gently to avoid curdling the eggs. This soup is wonderful served with crusty bread or feta cheese, and a fresh Greek salad makes a perfect side. For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth and omit the chicken.