Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chicken soup)

I've only been vaguely aware of a staple lemon soup in Greek cuisine but it turns out it's my boyfriend's favorite comfort food. One day his stomach wasn't feeling that great, so I tried my hand at making it using this recipe - and now it's one of my favorites too! I frequently make a big pot of it and then freeze it into blocks for anytime I need a quick something in my stomach. Since I need a high protein/fat-to-carb ratio, I also tend to load up the chicken end of the ingredients list, but really, just like any soup you can feel free to throw in or take out whatever you want in this, just keep the lemon and egg-to-liquid ratio about the same. 

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ½ to 1 cup finely chopped carrots
• ½ to 1 cup finely chopped celery
• ½ to 1 cup finely chopped green onions
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup rice
• Salt and pepper
• Either cooked boneless, skinless chicken pieces (a store-bought rotisserie chicken shredded works) or un-cooked, skinless chicken cut into bite-sized pieces - 6-8 oz if having soup as appetizer, can be up to 30 oz if you want to have it as a meal
• ½ cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 large eggs
• Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil on medium-high. Add the carrots, celery and green onions, toss together to saute briefly then stir in the garlic. Add the chicken broth and bay leaves to the pot then raise the heat to high.
2. Rinse the rice thoroughly and leave to soak in water for about 15 minutes.
3. Once the broth has come to a rolling boil, add the rice, salt and pepper. If you're using raw chicken, put the chicken pieces in as well. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender. If you're using cooked chicken, stir in the cooked chicken now.
4. To prepare the egg-lemon sauce, in a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and eggs. While whisking, add 2 ladles-full of the broth from the cooking pot to temper the eggs. Once fully combined, add the sauce to the chicken soup and stir. Remove from the heat immediately.
5. Garnish with fresh parsley, if you like.