Greek Lemon Meatball Soup Recipe with Orzo and Dill

Greek lemon meatball soup, often called giouvarlakia avgolemono, is a Greek soup of tender rice-studded meatballs in a bright broth thickened with egg and lemon. This version uses rice rather than orzo, and finishes the soup with fresh dill for a fragrant, comforting bowl. Families make it in different ways, but the gentle simmer and carefully tempered lemon-egg mixture are the keys to its satisfying texture.

Ingredients

1 lb (454 g) ground beef, preferably 85–90% lean
1/3 cup (65 g) uncooked short-grain or medium-grain white rice, for the meatballs
1 medium yellow onion (about 150 g), finely grated or minced
1 large egg (about 50 g), for binding the meatballs
1/4 cup (15 g) finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp (6 g) finely chopped fresh dill, plus extra to serve
1 1/2 tsp (9 g) fine salt, divided, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
8 cups (1.9 L) low-sodium chicken broth or beef broth
1 bay leaf (optional)
1/2 cup (95 g) uncooked long-grain or medium-grain white rice, for the soup
2 large eggs (about 100 g), for the lemon-egg finish
1/3 cup (80 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice, from about 2 lemons
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil (optional, for a rounder broth)

Instructions

Mix the meatball mixture. Put the ground beef, 1/3 cup rice, grated onion, one egg, parsley, dill, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the black pepper in a large bowl. Mix gently with clean hands or a fork just until evenly combined. Stop as soon as the ingredients hold together; heavy mixing can make the meatballs firm rather than tender.
Shape the meatballs. With damp hands, form the mixture into about 18 meatballs, each roughly 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) across. Set them on a plate while you prepare the broth. They do not need to be perfectly identical, but keeping them close in size helps them cook at the same rate.
Bring the broth to a gentle simmer. Pour the broth into a large, heavy pot and add the bay leaf, if using, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Set over medium-high heat and bring just to a simmer, which should take about 8 minutes. Lower the heat if the broth begins to boil hard; a lively boil can break up the meatballs.
Cook the meatballs. Lower the meatballs into the simmering broth one at a time. Return the liquid to a gentle simmer, partially cover the pot, and cook for 25 minutes. Keep the bubbles small and steady. Avoid stirring during the first few minutes; once the meatballs have begun to firm, you can carefully move them with a spoon if they are sticking.
Add the soup rice. Rinse the 1/2 cup rice for the soup in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs mostly clear, then add it to the pot. Simmer uncovered for 15–18 minutes, stirring gently once or twice, until the rice is tender and the meatballs are cooked through. Check a meatball in the center with a food thermometer: ground beef must reach the USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). If the rice needs another few minutes, keep the soup at a gentle simmer and check again.
Whisk the lemon and eggs. Take the pot off the heat briefly. In a medium bowl, whisk the two remaining eggs until smooth, then whisk in the lemon juice. Slowly ladle about 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) of hot broth into the egg mixture, whisking constantly as you pour. This gradual warming, called tempering, helps prevent the eggs from turning into small curds when they meet the hot soup.
Finish the soup gently. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the pot in a thin stream while stirring gently. Return the pot to low heat and stir for about 3–5 minutes, without letting the soup boil. For egg-dish food safety, use a thermometer to confirm the soup reaches 160°F (71°C), the USDA FSIS safe minimum; keep the heat low and stir steadily so the mixture warms evenly. Stir in the olive oil, if using, and taste for salt, pepper, and lemon. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
Serve hot. Ladle into warm bowls and finish with chopped dill and, if desired, a little extra lemon juice. The broth will be silky and lightly thickened, not custard-like. Serve promptly while the rice is tender and the lemon flavor is fresh.

Tips

Keep the simmer gentle. Small bubbles protect the shape of the meatballs and help the rice cook without making the broth cloudy from vigorous boiling. If the pot starts to bubble rapidly, lower the heat and give it a minute to settle.
Temper patiently. Add the hot broth to the eggs a ladle at a time while whisking continuously. Pouring all the broth in at once, or adding the egg mixture to a boiling pot, can make the sauce grainy. If the finished soup seems too thick, stir in a splash of hot broth or water.
Use the right rice in each place. Short- or medium-grain rice inside the meatballs helps them stay soft, while long- or medium-grain rice in the soup gives distinct, tender grains. If you only have long-grain rice for the meatballs, it will still work, though the texture may be a little less cohesive.
Adjust salt and lemon at the end. Broths vary in saltiness, and lemons vary in sharpness. Taste after the egg-lemon mixture is incorporated, then add salt or lemon a teaspoon at a time rather than trying to correct the soup before it is finished.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the soup as a complete lunch or a light dinner, with crusty bread for dipping and a simple plate of olives, sliced cucumber, or tomatoes alongside. A crisp green salad dressed with olive oil and a little vinegar or lemon adds freshness without competing with the soup’s citrusy broth. Set extra lemon wedges and chopped dill on the table so everyone can adjust their bowl.

Because the rice continues to absorb liquid as the soup sits, serve it soon after cooking for the best balance of broth and grains. If you are serving several courses, keep the pot covered off the heat for only a short time, and loosen the soup with warm broth before ladling if it has thickened. Avoid leaving it at room temperature for more than two hours.

Variations

Use ground lamb or a blend. Replace some or all of the beef with ground lamb, or use a half-beef, half-lamb mixture. Lamb brings a richer, more distinctive flavor, so parsley and dill are especially welcome. The same safe temperature applies to ground lamb: check that the center of a meatball reaches 160°F (71°C).

Make it with orzo. Orzo is a convenient small pasta, but it is not the rice traditionally used in many versions of giouvarlakia. For a soup with orzo, leave the rice out of the meatballs and add about 3/4 cup (130 g) orzo to the broth after the meatballs have simmered for 25 minutes. Cook according to the package timing, usually about 8–10 minutes, and check that the meatballs reach 160°F (71°C). The result is a pasta soup rather than the rice-studded version here.

Add vegetables. For a more substantial pot, add 1 cup (100 g) finely diced carrot or celery with the broth and simmer until tender. These are useful additions, though they give the soup a more vegetable-forward character than the simple meatball-and-lemon style. Spinach can be stirred in during the final few minutes, just before tempering the eggs.

Choose a broth substitute. Chicken broth gives a mild, familiar base; beef broth makes it deeper and heartier. If you cannot find fresh dill, use 2 teaspoons (2 g) dried dill in the meatball mixture and finish with parsley. Dried dill is more concentrated and less fresh-tasting, so use it sparingly. Fresh lemon juice is preferable to bottled juice here because its aroma is a central part of the dish.

Storage and Reheating

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them in a covered container within 2 hours of cooking. The soup keeps for 3–4 days in the refrigerator. Rice absorbs broth as it rests, so the next day the soup may be much thicker; stir in a little water or broth when reheating. The egg-lemon finish can lose some of its original silkiness after chilling, but gentle reheating helps keep it smooth.

Reheat only the amount you plan to eat, either in a saucepan over low to medium-low heat or in the microwave in short intervals, stirring between intervals. Stir frequently and bring leftovers to 165°F (74°C), the USDA FSIS temperature for reheated leftovers. Do not let the soup boil vigorously, which can make the egg-lemon broth separate. For freezing, the best texture comes from freezing the cooked meatballs and broth before adding the egg-lemon mixture; freeze in airtight containers for up to 2 months, thaw in the refrigerator, reheat, then make and stir in a fresh egg-lemon finish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make Greek lemon meatball soup ahead?

Yes. You can shape the meatballs up to a day ahead and keep them covered in the refrigerator, or cook the soup a day ahead and chill it promptly. For the freshest, smoothest finish, prepare the egg-lemon mixture shortly before serving. If reheating the finished soup, warm it gently and bring it to 165°F (74°C) without a hard boil.

Why did my egg-lemon broth curdle?

Curdling most often happens when the eggs meet very hot broth too quickly or the finished soup boils. Whisk hot broth into the eggs gradually, return the mixture to the pot while stirring, and warm it over low heat. A few tiny flecks are usually a texture issue rather than a reason to discard the soup, but steady tempering helps avoid them.

Can I use cooked rice in the meatballs?

Uncooked rice is used in this recipe because it cooks inside the meatballs as they simmer and helps give them their characteristic texture. Cooked rice absorbs liquid differently and can make the mixture softer and harder to shape. If cooked rice is all you have, reduce the amount to about 1/2 cup (80 g), chill the mixture before shaping, and check the meatballs carefully for the safe internal temperature.

How do I know when the rice is done?

The rice inside the meatballs and the rice added to the broth may finish at slightly different times. Taste a grain from the soup; it should be tender without a hard center. Cut one meatball open to check its rice as well, and use a thermometer to make sure the ground meat has reached 160°F (71°C). Continue simmering gently for a few minutes if either needs more time.

Can I make the soup without eggs?

Yes, but it will not have the creamy, lightly thickened character of avgolemono. Leave out the two eggs and stir the lemon juice into the soup just before serving. For a little more body, mash a few spoonfuls of the cooked soup rice into the broth. Add lemon gradually and taste as you go, since the result will be sharper and less rounded than the egg-finished version.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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