1. Prep the rice (if you want rice)

Place your 1 cup of rice into a saucepan with a lid. Swish the rice around the the bottom of the saucepan, then pour off the water as much as possible  (this gets some of the excess starch off the surface of the rice so it doesn’t get super sticky when you cook it). Repeat 1-2 more times. Its okay if you don’t get all the water off out of the rice. I usually leave a little in there.

Alternatively, my husband puts rice in a mesh strainer and pours the water through it that way. I find this approach annoying, because it’s another thing to clean, but throwing it out there in case you’re similarly deranged.

Add the 1 1/4 cup chicken broth to the rice and heat over high heat until it comes to a boil. Stir, cover, and reduce to very low heat. Cook for 20 minutes.

Note: If you’re using a different type of rice, just follow the package instructions for the rice/liquid ratios and cook times.

2. Prepare the soup base.

Bring the 6 cups of chicken stock to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp of salt.

Finely chop the carrots and celery (you’ll need these first). Then finely chop the green onions (if using).

Squeeze the lemons until you have 1 cup of lemon juice (4-6 lemons). I usually squeeze into a bowl topped with a mesh strainer to catch the seeds.

Note: I chop finely because my pickiest eater will otherwise pick out pieces of vegetables. When I chop more finely, for whatever reason, he’s more willing to eat them. 

3. Add the carrots and celery.

Once the stock is boiling, add the carrots and celery (not the green onion or chicken yet). Let them boil for about 10 minutes. 

While the carrots and celery cook, whisk together your eggs (2 eggs + 2 egg yolks) with the 1 cup of lemon juice in a heat safe mixing bowl. Wash and chop your 2 tbsp of dill.

4. Add the chicken (and green onion, if using).

After 10 minutes of cooking the carrots and celery, add the green onions (if using) and the chopped chicken. Bring back up to a boil for about 2 minutes. Then turn off the heat.

5. Add the egg and lemon mixture.

Wait 1 minute after the soup stops visibly boiling. The temp will be around 210F (212F is boiling). You do not need to temp anything during this process, I’m just letting you know because information is power.

Bring your egg/lemon mixture and whisk next to the soup. You’re going to need two hands so safely stow away any children for the next two minutes.

Using a ladle or 1/2 cup measure, scoop up some of the hot broth (try to avoid the vegetables / chicken as much as possible, but this is not critical), and, while whisking the egg/lemon mixture, slowly pour the hot broth into the egg/lemon mixture. Do this 3-4 more times, until the eggs start to feel quite warm. Mine were a little warmer than body temperature when I finished this part, as you can see below.

Then dump all the egg/lemon mixture straight into the hot soup, and stir immediately. After mixing soup and egg together, we get to a final soup temp of about 180F. (This is well above the food safety threshold for eggs of 165F!)

Don’t turn the heat back on. Add more salt to taste and serve immediately!

6. Serve & enjoy!

To serve, scoop out some rice (if using) into a bowl and pour the soup over it. I also like to top my soup with dill.

Our kids like the dill too, but I try to let them garnish their soups themselves. It gives them a sense of control over their lives.