Simple Greek Chicken Meatball Soup

Finding a comforting, nourishing soup that doesn’t require hours of simmering on the stove can feel impossible, especially when you’re craving something with real flavor and substance. You want something that warms you up from the inside out without spending your entire afternoon in the kitchen, and it gets even trickier when you’re trying to put a fresh spin on weeknight dinners.

That’s where this Greek chicken meatball soup comes in: it’s packed with tender, herb-filled meatballs, bright lemon flavor, and a creamy broth that comes together faster than you’d think. Plus, the combination of fresh dill, mint, and that signature Greek avgolemono finish makes it feel special enough for guests but easy enough for a regular Tuesday night.

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What Kind of Ground Chicken Should I Use?

For this Greek meatball soup, you’ll want to use ground chicken that has a bit of fat content to keep your meatballs tender and juicy. Ground chicken thighs are ideal because they have more fat than ground chicken breast, which means your meatballs won’t dry out during cooking. If you can only find ground chicken breast at your store, don’t worry – it’ll still work, just be careful not to overcook the meatballs. You can also ask your butcher to grind chicken for you if you want to control the meat-to-fat ratio, or even grind it yourself at home if you have a meat grinder or food processor.

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Options for Substitutions

This Greek soup is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options if you need them:

• Ground chicken: You can easily swap this with ground turkey, which works just as well in meatballs. Ground pork or a mix of pork and beef will give you a richer flavor, though it won’t be quite as light.
• Round grain rice: This is important – stick with round grain rice like arborio or sushi rice for the best texture. Long grain rice won’t give you that creamy consistency that makes this soup special.
• Fresh dill and mint: If you only have dried herbs, use about 1 teaspoon of each instead of the tablespoon measurements. The flavor won’t be quite as bright, but it’ll still work.
• Cumin: Not a fan of cumin? Try using oregano or a pinch of coriander instead for a different Greek-inspired flavor.
• Egg yolks: The egg yolks create the traditional avgolemono sauce, so they’re pretty key to this recipe. If you need to skip them, you can thicken the soup with an extra tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with water, but you’ll lose that signature tangy creaminess.
• Chicken bouillon cube: Feel free to use chicken stock instead of water and bouillon – just use 1.5 liters of stock and skip the cube.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making this soup is adding the egg-lemon mixture (avgolemono) too quickly or while the soup is still boiling hard, which will cause the eggs to scramble instead of creating that smooth, creamy texture – always remove the pot from heat first and add the hot broth to the egg mixture gradually while whisking constantly.

Another common error is overworking the meatball mixture, which makes them tough and dense, so mix just until combined and handle them gently when forming.

Don’t skip removing excess liquid from the grated onion and garlic, as too much moisture will make your meatballs fall apart during cooking.

Finally, make sure your meatballs are similar in size so they cook evenly – using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon helps keep them consistent at about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter.

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What to Serve With Greek Chicken Meatball Soup?

This soup is pretty hearty on its own since it’s loaded with meatballs and rice, but I love serving it with warm pita bread or crusty bread for dipping. A simple Greek salad on the side with cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, and olives makes it feel like a complete meal and adds a nice fresh crunch. If you want to keep things really simple, just set out some extra lemon wedges and good olive oil for drizzling – people can customize their bowls however they like. For a lighter option, try pairing it with some hummus and raw veggies, or even some tzatziki sauce for dipping your bread.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your Greek chicken meatball soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The rice will continue to absorb some of the broth as it sits, so you might want to add a splash of water or chicken broth when reheating to loosen it up.

Freeze: This soup freezes pretty well for up to 3 months, though I recommend freezing it before adding the egg-lemon sauce if possible. The meatballs and broth hold up great in the freezer, but that creamy lemon mixture can sometimes separate when thawed.

Reheat: Warm the soup gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. If you froze it with the egg-lemon sauce and it looks a bit separated, just whisk it while heating and it should come back together nicely.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1200-1350
• Protein: 80-90 g
• Fat: 50-60 g
• Carbohydrates: 100-115 g

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 1 large onion (finely grated and drained)
• 2 garlic cloves (finely minced)
• 1.1 lb ground chicken breast
• 2 tbsp fresh dill (chopped)
• 1 tbsp fresh mint (chopped)
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 cup jasmine rice
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 0.5 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the soup base:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 52 fl oz water
• 1.5 tbsp roasted chicken base
• Peel of 1 lemon (yellow part only)
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric (optional, for color)

For the egg-lemon sauce:

• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 large egg yolks (room temperature)
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 0.25 tsp white pepper
• 2 tsp corn starch

For the garnish:

• 2 tbsp fresh dill (finely chopped)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• 4-5 thin lemon slices

Step 1: Prepare the Meatball Mixture

• 1 large onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1.1 lb ground chicken breast
• 2 tbsp fresh dill
• 1 tbsp fresh mint
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 cup jasmine rice
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 0.5 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Grate the onion finely and squeeze it in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth to remove excess liquid—this prevents soggy meatballs.

Mince the garlic finely and combine it with the drained onion in a large bowl.

Add the ground chicken breast, chopped fresh dill, chopped fresh mint, ground cumin, jasmine rice, sea salt, cracked black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.

Mix gently with your hands until just combined, being careful not to overwork the mixture, which would make the meatballs dense and tough.

I find that using a light touch here makes a noticeable difference in the final texture.

Step 2: Form and Brown the Meatballs

• chicken mixture from Step 1
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Using damp hands to prevent sticking, form the chicken mixture into 25-30 small meatballs, about the size of walnuts.

Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Once shimmering, carefully add the meatballs in batches, working in a single layer without crowding the pot.

Let each batch brown for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly golden, then transfer to a plate.

I like to brown the meatballs first even though they’ll continue cooking in the broth—it adds a subtle depth of flavor that really elevates the soup.

Step 3: Build the Broth Base

• meatballs from Step 2
• 52 fl oz water
• 1.5 tbsp roasted chicken base
• Peel of 1 lemon
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric

Return all the browned meatballs to the pot.

Pour in the 52 fluid ounces of water and add the roasted chicken base, stirring to dissolve it completely.

Add the lemon peel (yellow part only), the large bay leaf, and the optional ground turmeric for a subtle golden hue.

Bring the broth to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover.

Simmer for 25-30 minutes, allowing the rice inside the meatballs to cook through and the flavors to meld together.

Step 4: Prepare the Lemon-Egg Liaison

• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 large egg yolks
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 0.25 tsp white pepper
• 2 tsp corn starch

While the soup simmers, prepare the avgolemono (lemon-egg) finish in a separate bowl.

Combine the lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, room-temperature egg yolks, salt, and white pepper.

Whisk these together until well combined.

Sprinkle the corn starch over the mixture and whisk it in thoroughly—this helps stabilize the eggs so they won’t scramble when added to the hot broth.

Step 5: Temper and Incorporate the Egg Mixture

• simmered soup from Step 3
• lemon-egg mixture from Step 4

Once the soup has simmered for 25-30 minutes and the meatballs are cooked through, remove the pot from heat temporarily.

Ladle about 1 cup of the hot broth into the lemon-egg mixture in a slow, steady stream while whisking constantly—this tempering process gradually brings the eggs up to temperature without scrambling them.

Pour the tempered mixture back into the pot slowly while stirring gently to combine.

Return the pot to medium heat and stir continuously for 1-2 minutes until the broth thickens slightly and becomes creamy, then immediately remove from heat before it comes to a boil.

Step 6: Finish and Serve

• finished soup from Step 5
• 2 tbsp fresh dill
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• 4-5 thin lemon slices

Remove and discard the lemon peel and bay leaf.

Stir in the finely chopped fresh dill.

Taste and adjust seasoning with freshly ground black pepper as needed.

Ladle the soup into bowls, making sure each serving gets several meatballs and plenty of creamy broth.

Top each bowl with a thin lemon slice and a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

The lemon slice adds a fresh visual element and a burst of brightness when squeezed into the soup at the table.

Simple Greek Chicken Meatball Soup

Delicious Simple Greek Chicken Meatball Soup recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 2 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Calories 1275 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the meatballs

• 1 large onion (finely grated and drained)
• 2 garlic cloves (finely minced)
• 1.1 lb ground chicken breast
• 2 tbsp fresh dill (chopped)
• 1 tbsp fresh mint (chopped)
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 cup jasmine rice
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 0.5 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the soup base

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 52 fl oz water
• 1.5 tbsp roasted chicken base
• Peel of 1 lemon (yellow part only)
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric (optional, for color)

For the egg-lemon sauce

• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 large egg yolks (room temperature)
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 0.25 tsp white pepper
• 2 tsp corn starch

For the garnish

• 2 tbsp fresh dill (finely chopped)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• 4-5 thin lemon slices

Instructions

 

• Grate the onion finely and squeeze it in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth to remove excess liquid—this prevents soggy meatballs. Mince the garlic finely and combine it with the drained onion in a large bowl. Add the ground chicken breast, chopped fresh dill, chopped fresh mint, ground cumin, jasmine rice, sea salt, cracked black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Mix gently with your hands until just combined, being careful not to overwork the mixture, which would make the meatballs dense and tough. I find that using a light touch here makes a noticeable difference in the final texture.
• Using damp hands to prevent sticking, form the chicken mixture into 25-30 small meatballs, about the size of walnuts. Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, carefully add the meatballs in batches, working in a single layer without crowding the pot. Let each batch brown for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly golden, then transfer to a plate. I like to brown the meatballs first even though they'll continue cooking in the broth—it adds a subtle depth of flavor that really elevates the soup.
• Return all the browned meatballs to the pot. Pour in the 52 fluid ounces of water and add the roasted chicken base, stirring to dissolve it completely. Add the lemon peel (yellow part only), the large bay leaf, and the optional ground turmeric for a subtle golden hue. Bring the broth to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, allowing the rice inside the meatballs to cook through and the flavors to meld together.
• While the soup simmers, prepare the avgolemono (lemon-egg) finish in a separate bowl. Combine the lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, room-temperature egg yolks, salt, and white pepper. Whisk these together until well combined. Sprinkle the corn starch over the mixture and whisk it in thoroughly—this helps stabilize the eggs so they won't scramble when added to the hot broth.
• Once the soup has simmered for 25-30 minutes and the meatballs are cooked through, remove the pot from heat temporarily. Ladle about 1 cup of the hot broth into the lemon-egg mixture in a slow, steady stream while whisking constantly—this tempering process gradually brings the eggs up to temperature without scrambling them. Pour the tempered mixture back into the pot slowly while stirring gently to combine. Return the pot to medium heat and stir continuously for 1-2 minutes until the broth thickens slightly and becomes creamy, then immediately remove from heat before it comes to a boil.
• Remove and discard the lemon peel and bay leaf. Stir in the finely chopped fresh dill. Taste and adjust seasoning with freshly ground black pepper as needed. Ladle the soup into bowls, making sure each serving gets several meatballs and plenty of creamy broth. Top each bowl with a thin lemon slice and a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. The lemon slice adds a fresh visual element and a burst of brightness when squeezed into the soup at the table.