In January, my little blog on this corner of internet will be celebrating its first anniversary since launch!
As I’ve been reflecting on this milestone, it occurred to me that after nearly an entire year of writing, I haven’t written about food even once. In fact, the one time I did blog about food, I wrote about NOT eating it! I mean, for crying out loud…!
If you’re curious, it was a post on intermittent fasting which you can check out here.
Perhaps this holds little significance to you, but you see, I’m actually obsessed with food and I just don’t know how I went this long without sharing my sweet, sweet love with the world.
So since the holiday season of coziness is upon us, it felt like the right time to share my most favourite soup recipe in the world. And probably in my top 3 of favourite recipes ever.
If chocolate is a pair of stilettos, soup is a warm and cozy blanket, and this fall season sure is craving exactly that.
Confession:
I should probably mention that although I love food, I’m not a great cook. I’m not creative in the kitchen, and I don’t love the process of putting a meal together.
If you want to eat a high-quality meal with all the best ingredients and pairings, talk to my husband. The dishes he puts together for our date nights rival just about anything I’ve enjoyed at a fancy eatery. You can drool over some of our favourite meals and date night tips here!
In case you’ve lost all confidence in my culinary skills, be comforted to know that this soup is my grand exception.
Just over five years ago, my husband and I moved our family a 10+ hour drive away from Montreal. Among other losses, this also meant giving up all our favourite homemade Greek meals that my mother and grandmothers regularly prepared for us. Well, let me tell you, I didn’t miss any of their meals as much as I missed this soup!
When we moved into our new place at the beginning of September that year, all the fall feels were screaming for a cozy cup of soup to help make our house feel like home. I did my best to duplicate the recipe, and the first few attempts were crap, to put it mildly.
A few years and many revisions later, I am so proud to say that my version is sooooooo delicious. I personally think it’s better than my grandmother’s (don’t tell her!), whose soup I would have ranked in first place back then. Sorry, γιαγιά…
(the third is the chicken broth itself!)
In Greek, the name of this chicken noodle soup is literally translated as egg lemon.
avgo = egg
lemoni = lemon
Avgolemono…. Greek lemon chicken soup!
For those local to me, I’ve only found it at Food Basics in the pasta aisle.
You can also use rice to make it gluten-free.
The Egg
The addition of the egg is what makes this chicken noodle soup so unique. The creamy and frothy texture is achieved while still keeping the dish dairy-free! There’s no milk, heavy cream, or butter, but you’ll find the thick and creamy consistency to still be amazing!
The Lemon
Ok but what would a Greek recipe be without lemon? Bland and tasteless, that’s what! Lemon, garlic, and oregano are the staples of any Greek dish and this soup is no exception. Except in this case, hold the garlic and oregano, and add lots and lots of lemon!
Nostalgic Vibes and Feels…
Besides the colder weather begging for a bowl of yummy soup, the fast approaching Christmas season is making me more nostalgic than ever, and only adding to my strong desire for this type of comfort food meal.
Since Covid restrictions are keeping us from visiting family for the holidays, I’ve been especially drawn to familiar things that remind of me of loved ones in Montreal. And this soup sure is on the top of that list.
When I make it, the taste and smells transport me instantly to the kitchens of my mother and grandmothers where they lovingly prepared this soup throughout my life. May it bring you the same comfort that it has always brought me!
Alright, I’ll spare you any further nostalgic musings and get right down to the recipe. Here you go and you’re welcome!
Avgolemono (Greek Chicken Soup)
Ingredients
7L water
4 carrots
4 celery stocks
1 medium onion
4 tbsp powdered chicken stock
4 tbsp olive oil (optional)
3 tsp salt
6 chicken drumsticks or 4 bone-in chicken thighs
1 carton (1L) Chicken broth
1.5 cups couscous noodles
3 eggs
3 lemons
Instructions
- Add water in large pot with carrots, celery, onion, chicken stock, olive oil, salt. Bring to a boil.
(Keep the veggies relatively whole. You’ll be removing them later so the bigger they are, the easier it is.) - Add chicken.
- Bring to a boil and then turn down to medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through and veggies are soft.
(This is the flavour base of your soup so feel free to let it go for a good long while. I lower heat to low and allow it to simmer for a couple of hours) - Remove all veggies and chicken.
- Add half of the carton of broth and bring to a boil.
(You can also add more boiled water if you feel broth needs a little top up) - Add the couscous noodles until cooked.**
- Wait until chicken cools a little, then remove bone and fat. Cut chicken into bite sizes.
- Once noodled are cooked, pour remaining half of chicken broth carton into a blender.
- Add eggs and lemon juice and blend together until foamy and frothy (a few seconds). Pour into pot.
- Add chicken pieces back into the pot and serve.
- Add salt and pepper or additional lemon juice to taste.
*Note: I make this in shifts. I’ll boil everything first thing in the morning to allow the broth to simmer for a good, long while. I often enjoy the boiled veggies with my lunch since I have no other plans for them in the soup itself.
*These quantities feed my family of five with plenty left for second helpings and subsequent days of leftovers. Feel free to adjust your quantities. Also, I eyeball a lot, so usually end up making it a little differently each time. Still, I do think these quantities are pretty consistent.
**The couscous noodles can be substituted by rice, or other gluten free options to make it gluten-free.
Enjoy!
From The Overflow 