If Stracciatella is egg drop soup’s less-well-known cousin, avgolemono is its neglected stepchild and it can be prepared easily, quickly, and almost effortlessly from ingredients that most of us always have on hand.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　5 cups chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade

　　1/2 cup long-grain rice or orzo

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　1 cup chopped tomatoes (optional)

　　2 eggs

　　1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

　　3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

　　Minced fresh dill or parsley for garnish

　　

Step 1

Put the stock in a large, deep saucepan or casserole and turn the heat to medium-high. When it is just about boiling, turn the heat down to medium so that it bubbles but not too vigorously. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the tomatoes if you’re using them; turn the heat under the soup to low.

　　

Step 2

Use a whisk to beat the eggs in a bowl with the lemon zest and juice; still beating, add about 1/2 cup of the hot stock. Gradually add about another cup of the stock, beating all the while. Pour this mixture back into the soup and reheat, but under no circumstances allow the mixture to boil.

　　

Step 3

Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt, pepper, or lemon juice as necessary. Garnish and serve.

　　

Eggs In Soup

Step 4

When you use eggs to thicken a sauce or stew, you keep the heat low to gain a smooth, creamy result. In egg drop soup, whether it is Chinese or Italian or Greek, you do just the opposite—keep the heat relatively high so the eggs cook in shreds, or curds. The result is lightning-fast soup of real substance.

　　From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books.Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.