Diane Caldbeck’s children printed cards to accompany her homemade avgolemono soup. (Photo: Chris Diebel) By Chris Diebel Even though winter is easing up, we’re not quite finished with the cold and flu season, which reminds me of a cozy tradition that has spread to dozens of households here in De s Moines over several decades. Whenever one of my friend Diane Caldbeck’s loved ones needs a little extra love and nourishment, she’s known to drop off a helping of her delicious avgolemono soup. It’s a soothing mixture of chicken, rice, lemon juice and eggs that embodies the boundless love and support she extends to those around her. The dish reflects Diane’s Greek heritage, adapted over time to suit her family’s tastes. She has prepared the soup in the same stockpot for more than 50 years, a treasured wedding gift that has become part of the ritual. Curious about her process, I recently visited Diane to watch her work her quiet magic. While many versions of avgolemono use orzo, Diane prefers a cup of long-grain white rice. She begins by placing a whole chicken in a stockpot, covering it with water by an inch or two, seasoning it with salt, and bringing it to a boil. Then she reduces the heat, allowing the chicken to simmer for up to an hour as she skims off fat from the surface. It’s relatively simple, but the result is a deeply flavorful broth. Once the chicken is cooked, it’s removed, cooled and shredded. The rice is added directly to the broth and cooked for about 20 minutes. While the rice simmers, Diane whisks five eggs with a handheld mixer, slowly adding the juice of two large lemons. After the rice is finished, the pot is taken off the heat. Diane carefully ladles hot broth into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. (This gradual warming prevents curdling.) Then she adds the lemony egg mixture and shredded chicken back to the pot, transforming the soup into a creamy, comforting dish without a drop of dairy. “People always think there’s milk in it, but there isn’t,” she told me. “The eggs give it that creaminess. Tempering is the key.” Over time, the soup became Diane’s signature dish, alongside her spanakopita and baklava. Her daughter Megan recalls asking which friend received the soup first. “It may have been Lou Schneider or Maggie Pope,” Diane said. “They helped me realize it was something special to share.” And word spread quickly. “Once,” she said, “I made four deliveries in one day!” Dr. Lou Schneider described his first bowl as “a religious experience.” Justin and Maggie Glisan received the soup after welcoming their newborn son. “It felt like a warm blanket,” Justin recalled. Today, Diane includes a small notecard with each delivery, explaining the soup’s story. The cards were a gift from her kids who are proud of the tasty tradition their mom has created. “People’s genuine interest has made us want to share these recipes even more,” Diane said. “It probably means more to me than it does to them.” Diane Caldbeck’s Avgolemeno Ingredients 1 chicken 8-10 cups water 1 cup long-grain rice 5 eggs Juice of 2 large lemons Salt Pepper to Taste Instructions 1. Rinse chicken and place in a large pot. 2. Fill the pot with enough water to cover by 1-2 inches. Salt and bring to a boil. When it boils, reduce heat to medium to low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour, skimming fat from the top as it collects. The meat should pull from the bones easily. 3. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl and set aside to cool. Then remove skin and chicken from bones and shred or cut into small bite-sized pieces. 4. Meanwhile, add additional broth or water to the pot to equal about 10 cups and bring to boil; add rice to the broth and season with salt. Reduce heat and simmer over low heat until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. 5. While the rice is cooking, in a large bowl, whisk with a hand-held mixer the room-temperature eggs; then add the lemon juice gradually and whisk again until the egg and lemon mixture until well combined. 6. When rice is finished, remove from heat. Whisk a ladle full of hot broth into the eggs slowly so the eggs do not curdle. Gradually whisk in more broth until the egg mixture is heated. Pour the hot egg mixture back into the pot, stirring constantly. The result should be a frothy, creamy looking soup. Season with salt, pepper, or more lemon juice as needed. 7. Add pieces of chicken to the soup before serving or serve soup with chicken on the side. 8. Enjoy! If you need to reheat it, do it on low heat. Make sure it doesn’t come to a boil. Contributing writer Chris Diebel is a public affairs consultant and founding partner of Bubba – Southern Comforts. ...read more read less