I was lucky to have been exposed to Greek food at an early age. On Yale Ave (the main street of the downtown shopping district) there was a Greek restaurant called Yianni’s. It had been there since the early 1960s and hadn’t changed much in decor, and still hadn’t until it closed a few years ago. It was dark and the walls were cork, with red tablecloths, and red votive holders that glowed when lit. There was a small bar in the corner from which countless glasses of Retsina and shots of Ouzo were prepared.
Yianni’s wasn’t a fast food kind of joint. It was the kind of place you went for a special night out. Most of the dinners were served with soup (Avgolemono, Greek salad, a main course, and a dessert (baklava or ice cream). On Sundays, the Friday and Saturday extras were used to make an incredible lamb stew. Still, Avgolemono was the only soup option for lunch and dinner, but that was never a problem because this delicious, creamy lemon, chicken, and orzo pasta soup is the best way to kick off any one of the main courses.
Avgolemono is a great starter for chicken, lamb, fish, beef, or vegetable dishes. Its fresh, lemony broth and light orzo pasta, awaken your palate for the Mediterranean delights to come.
How do I know all this? Well, I worked as a waiter at Yianni’s for a year after high school.
What Greek meal would be complete without Pita Bread? If you’ve got a cast iron skillet, yeast, water, sugar, salt, flour, and olive oil, then you’ve got the makin’s for some hot, fresh, restaurant-quality pitas! Of course, you can make them for other things like Shawarma sandwiches, but they’re great with a hot bowl of Avgolemono.
Greek Avgolemono Soup
Equipment
- Stock Pot
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 Carrots peeled and diced
- 1/2 Onion diced
- 3 Garlic cloves minced
- 8-10 cups Chicken broth I prefer Better Than Boullion or homemade chicken stock, but standard chicken bouillon will do.
- 1 cup Orzo pasta
- 1 Rotisserie Chicken precooked
- 3 Eggs
- 1/2 cup Lemon juice fresh is way better!
- 1 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Fresh Dill
- Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Base: Heat large soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic. Saute until fragrant and tender, about 10 minutes. (Be careful not to burn the garlic.)1 tbsp olive oil, 3 Carrots, 1/2 Onion, 3 Garlic cloves
- Orzo: Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the orzo and cook for a few minutes until softened. Stir in the chicken and remove from heat.8-10 cups Chicken broth, 1 cup Orzo pasta
- Eggs: Whisk the eggs and lemon juice together in a small bowl. The idea here is to warm up the egg mixture slowly (without scrambling the eggs). Slowly add a scoop of the soup into the egg mixture. Then add your warmed egg mixture back to the soup pot – slowly, slowly, slowly, stirring constantly, until smooth and creamy.3 Eggs, 1/2 cup Lemon juice, 8-10 cups Chicken broth
- Final touches: Finish by adding a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of dill, and salt and pepper to taste! I love this with a lot of fresh ground black pepper.
- Serve: Serve with fresh, hot pita bread brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with oregano, and some sides of Hummus, Baba Ganoush, and Tabouleh. A small Greek salad makes a great starter.
