This comforting soup is my festive twist on the Greek classic avgolemono—a dish I’ve loved all my life for its soothing richness and bright lemony warmth. After the indulgence of Christmas, it’s exactly what the body craves: something restorative, nourishing and full of gentle flavour. It’s also the perfect way to use leftover turkey, giving it new life in a dish that feels elegant rather than improvised.
What makes this version special is the addition of aromatic herb oil and a scattering of crisp chicken skin. Just a drizzle of sage or oregano oil brings an unexpected depth, while the crunchy topping adds texture to the velvety broth. It’s a simple bowl with a touch of luxury—one that bridges Greek tradition with winter comfort, and a dish I love serving in the peaceful days between Christmas and New Year.
Ingredients (serves 6-8)
- 200g cooked turkey meat, cut in small dice
- 125g rice (I use the Greek Karolina rice but pudding rice would do)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
For the stock
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 150ml dry white wine
- 1.5kg roasted turkey bones
- 1 large onion
- 3 celery sticks
- 3 carrots
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs of time
- 5-7 black peppercorns
For the tangerine sage oil
- 30g tangerine sage leaves
- 200ml rapeseed oil
Method
To make the tangerine sage oil, bring a pan with plenty of water to the boil. Drop the sage leaves in the water for 30 seconds and take off the heat. Drain and drop immediately in some icy water to preserve the colour and flavours. Drain, pat dry in a clean dry kitchen towel and put in a powerful blender or in the jug of a stick blender. Add the olive oil and blitz for a couple of minutes. Using muslin strain the oil and transfer to a squeezy bottle. The oil will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
If you do make the crispy chicken skin, all you need is a cold frying pan to which you stretch the chicken skin, season with some sea salt and cover with the bottom of a cake tin and place a weight over it. Bring to a low heat and cook for 3-4 minutes before turning over on the other side to cook for a minute or two longer. The skin should be a golden colour and look very crispy. Drain on some kitchen paper and keep to the side. If you don’t use immediately, store in an airtight container.
To make the stock, chop the vegetables finely, apart from one carrot which needs to be cut in small dice to be added to the soup.
Bring a big stockpot to a high heat and add the olive oil. Add all the vegetables and cook stirring continuously to almost caramelise, 4-5 minutes. Add the turkey bones and again repeat this process. Add the wine and let it evaporate. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme and cold water to cover the vegetables and bones and bring to the boil, removing the scum that gathers on top. Reduce the heat to low, cover and let the stock simmer for 2 hours. Top up with more water if necessary.
Stain the stock, return to a clean pan and bring to the boil. In a small sieve, rinse the rice add it to the boiling stock and stir. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the carrot pieces and simmer for another 10-15 minutes longer until the rice has cooked. Continue to keep the pot on a low heat while you prepare the avgolemono.
Whisk the eggs in a bowl and while still whisking add the lemon juice in a thin stream. Start adding soup from the pan in a thin stream again whisking all the time. The heat of the liquid can curdle the egg if you are not patient at this stage. When you have used 2-3 full ladles of the stock into the egg and lemon mixture, you can return the egg mixture into the pan and give everything a good stir to incorporate. Season with sea salt, add the chopped turkey and cook for a couple more minutes.
Serve the soup hot, drizzled with some extra virgin olive oil, the sage oil if you have made it and a sprinkling of some crumbed crispy chicken skin, lots of freshly ground black pepper, the lemon zest and extra lemon pieces on the side.