Skip to content

Meat, European

Giouvarlakia, Greek egg-lemon meatball soup

Giouvarlakia is a Greek soup of beef and rice meatballs simmered in chicken broth, then thickened with an egg-lemon mixture. This recipe serves 4, takes 1 hour, has a medium difficulty level, and costs €2.70 per serving. The key to success is the egg-lemon sauce, whisking in the hot broth little by little rather than the reverse, so you get a silky sauce with no cooked egg bits.

Tonight it's the soup that comforts the Greeks, giouvarlakia, rice meatballs in a lemony broth thickened with egg.

Giouvarlakia, Greek egg-lemon meatball soup
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€2.70
Calories per person
470 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Giouvarlakia belongs to the Greek dishes that keep you warm in winter, tender beef meatballs plumped up by the rice cooking inside them, sitting in a broth made velvety by the egg-lemon sauce known as avgolemono. The lemon adds a bright edge that wakes everything up without ever overpowering the mild broth. It's a soup that actually fills you up, built for the cold evenings outside.

This is a recipe for a calm Sunday, with time to shape the meatballs one by one and watch the sauce come together without rushing. Kids generally like the meatballs and the mild broth, though you can go lighter on the lemon if needed. Mon Chou walks you through each step so the sauce stays smooth, with no scrambled egg bits.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Ground beef 500 g

Pantry

  • Short grain riceoften in the pantry 80 g
  • Chicken brothoften in the pantry 1.2 l
  • Cornstarchoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Parsley 6 sprigs
  • Mint 4 sprigs
  • Lemons 2

Dairy

  • Eggs 3

Allergens Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Mix the meat with the raw rice, grated onion, chopped herbs, 1 egg, salt and pepper.

    Grate the onion so it melts into the mixture and doesn't bother the kids.

  2. Shape walnut sized meatballs.

    Roll them with wet hands so they don't stick.

  3. Bring the broth to a simmer, drop in the meatballs and let them cook gently. 30 min

    Don't stir with a spoon, gently swirl the pot instead so the meatballs don't break apart.

  4. Whisk 2 eggs with the lemon juice and cornstarch, then slowly whisk in a ladle of hot broth.

    Nothing should cook all at once, add the broth drop by drop at first.

  5. Off the heat, pour the egg-lemon mixture into the pot while gently swirling it, and serve without boiling.

    Don't let it boil afterward, the sauce would curdle.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick short grain rice, it releases starch as it cooks and lightly thickens the broth around the meatballs.
  • Keep the heat low the whole time the meatballs simmer, a hard boil can break them apart and cloud the broth.
  • Make the egg-lemon sauce right before serving, it doesn't hold well and can't be reheated directly over heat.

The variations

  • Swap the ground beef for ground lamb for a stronger flavor, common in some regions of Greece.
  • For a vegetarian version, make the meatballs with rice and lentils instead of meat and use a vegetable broth.
  • For kids, cut the lemon juice in half and serve the soup warm rather than piping hot.

What to serve it with

  • Crusty bread to dip in the broth
  • A cucumber and tomato salad
  • Black olives as a starter

Storage

Giouvarlakia keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container. Avoid freezing it, the egg-lemon sauce tends to separate once thawed. Reheat very gently, never letting it boil, so the sauce stays smooth.

Questions about this dish

Why does the egg-lemon sauce sometimes curdle?

It curdles if the hot broth is poured too fast into the eggs, or if the soup boils after the sauce is added. Always whisk the broth in slowly, then serve right away without putting it back on the heat.

Can you shape the meatballs ahead of time?

Yes, you can shape the meatballs and keep them in the fridge a few hours before cooking. Make the egg-lemon sauce only at the very end, right before serving.

What type of rice works best for giouvarlakia?

Short grain rice works best, it cooks through inside the meatballs and keeps them tender. Long grain rice can stay a bit firm at the center of the meatball.

Can you use a different herb instead of mint?

Yes, dill is a common swap in Greek cooking. Just keep the parsley, since it gives the meatball mixture its base flavor.

How long does it take to make a bowl of giouvarlakia, a Greek egg-lemon meatball soup?

Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a bowl of giouvarlakia, a Greek egg-lemon meatball soup?

About 470 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a bowl of giouvarlakia, a Greek egg-lemon meatball soup cost?

About €2.70 per serving, or €10.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

European Cuisines

See all

Beef recipes

See all