Avgolemono

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Avgolemono is a family of eastern Mediterranean sauces and soups made with egg yolks and lemon mixed with broth, heated until they thicken. Avgolemono is the Greek name, meaning egg-lemon; in Arabic, it is called tarbiya, and in Turkish terbiye.

It is the typical sauce used on warm dolma and many vegetables, especially artichoke. It is part of some specific stew-like dishes such as the Greek pork with celery and the Turkish yuvarlak, added just before serving to thicken and acidulate the cooking juices.

As a soup, it usually starts with a chicken broth, though meat, fish, or vegetable broths are also used. Typically, rice or soup pasta such as orzo are cooked in the broth before a mixture of egg yolks and lemon is added. Its consistency varies from near-stew to near-broth.

The soup may be made with whole eggs, in which case the whites are often beaten first until stiff, the yolks and then the lemon juice afterwards being beaten in gradually. The chicken stock with rice is then gradually mixed in. Starch is sometimes added as an additional thickener.