Avgolemono Soup

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Avgolemono soup is a Greek lemon and egg soup.   "Avga" meaning eggs in Greek and "Lemono" meaning lemon.   The eggs in this soup give it a nice thick consistency and the rice absorbs the lemon broth as days pass.   Today my amor decided that he would like to help me make this soup.  This is his and his family's soup.  I learned everything I know about it from them. 

Avgolemono Soup:

1 Fryer Chicken
1 Onion, peeled and quartered
2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
2 Celery ribs, chopped
2 t Salt
5 C Water
1 C Chicken stock (for extra flavor)
3/4 C Rice, uncooked
4 Eggs
1/2 C Lemon juice
Salt to taste

Directions:
1.   Bring the chicken, carrots, celery, onions and 2 t. salt in a stock pot to a boil.  Once boiling skim the "scum" from the top of the stock pot and place on simmer for about 2 hours; until chicken is tender and stock is thick.  Add more water as needed to make sure chicken is covered at all times.

2.  Strain and remove the chicken; set cooked chicken aside; discard vegetables.
3.  Bring stock back to a boil and add the extra chicken stock, 5 C water and rice.  Simmer for about 15 minutes; until rice is cooked.
4.  Whip the eggs and lemon juice together in a separate bowl until frothy.
5.  Mix a small amount of the chicken soup with the egg mixture*.  Whip until smooth.  Keep whipping in a circle and adding a little more chicken soup until the egg mixture warms up and is frothy; add about 5 cups of soup. 
6.  Add the warm egg mixture back into the chicken soup; stirring constantly.  Salt to taste.
7.  Put the cut up cooked chicken on a plate for people to add to their soup and serve the soup in a bowl with extra lemons. 

Serves 6-8

Tip: * You will need to whip the egg mixture in a circle when adding the hot chicken stock.  You want the egg mixture to mix into the soup not solidify.  As long as you keep the mixture moving and add about 5 cups of chicken stock it will heat the egg mixture enough for you to incorporate it back into the soup.

Vegetarian Vegetable Soup

Vegetable soup is a soup that I feel you can create any way you like it.  I like cabbage, corn, broccoli, beans, peas, carrots and zucchini in mine** but feel free to use what you love.

Vegetarian Vegetable Soup:

2 T Olive oil
2 T Butter
1 Leek, white part only, chopped
1 C Onions, chopped roughly
1 Small Shallot, chopped
1 Clove garlic, minced
4 Pounds vegetables**
2 C Potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 C Tomatoes, peeled*, seeded and chopped
10 C Vegetable stock
1 T Tomato paste
Handful of pasta
1/3 C Parsley, chopped
10 Sprigs of thyme, chopped
Juice of one lemon
Salt to taste

Directions:
1. Heat butter and olive oil in stockpot.  Place leeks, onions, shallots, garlic and a pinch of salt in the pot.  Cook for about 5 minutes, until softened.
2.  Put your vegetables in two different bowls, the vegetables that cook "fast" ie the broccoli and the vegetables that cook "slow" ie the green beans, carrots, peas, etc. 
3.  Add your "slow" cook vegetables and potatoes and continue to cook for 8 minutes. 
4.  Add the stock and bring to a boil; turn down and simmer for 20 minutes.
5.  After add the tomatoes, tomato paste, any of "fast" cook vegetables and the pasta.
6.  Reduce to low and cook until vegetables are tender and pasta done, about 15-18 more  minutes.
7.  Remove from heat and add parsley, thyme and lemon juice. 
8.  Salt to taste.

Serves 6-8

Tip:  *An easy way to peel tomatoes is to boil a pot of water, cut an X on the bottom of the tomatoes (only cutting through the skin)
 Place in the water for 30 seconds and

Put straight into a water bath for 1 minute.  When you pull the tomato out, you should be able to peel the skin off really easy where you put the X in it.

**These are some of the vegetables that I genuinely love to use; broccoli, carrots, green beans, corn and zucchini.

Wild Mushroom Soup

Sunday’s soup, Wild Mushroom; need I say more.   It is made with fresh and dried mushrooms which give this soup a very rich flavor.  Feel free to use any kind of mushroom you find.  I like the Cremini, Oyster, Bluefoot and Portabella but mix it up; Wood ear’s are also nice you just need to make sure you cook them plenty and puree them a little finer.

Wild Mushroom Soup:

1 1/2 C Dried mushrooms
2 C Warm water
2 T Olive oil
2 T Butter
2 Leeks, chopped
2 Shallots, diced
2 Cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs Fresh wild mushrooms*
7 C Chicken stock
1 T Fresh thyme
1/2 C Heavy cream
Salt to taste
Few sprigs of thyme for garnish

Directions:
1.  Put the dried wild mushrooms in a bowl, add the warm water and let soak for 30 minutes.  Strain all the liquid and reserve for later.  Cut the dried wild mushrooms finely.
2.  In a skillet, heat the oil and butter.   Add leeks, shallots and garlic; cook until softened about 5 minutes.
3.  Clean** and chop the wild mushrooms.  Add to pan and cook until they start to soften; about 3 more minutes. 
4.  Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  
5.  Add the wild mushroom soaking liquid and the chopped up dried mushrooms.  Turn the heat down and continue to simmer another hour.

6.  Add the chopped thyme and salt the last 10 minutes. 
7.  Place soup in a food processor and puree it coarsely.
8.  Return to stove and bring back to a boil.  
9.  Turn heat down and add cream and salt to taste.
10.  Serve with a fresh sprig of thyme on top.

Serves 6

Tip:  *Use the entire mushroom including the stem.   It makes the soup flavorful and you ultimately puree the soup so there will be no tough pieces.    

**Do not let them sit in water when you are washing them.   You do not want them to absorb water.



To store mushrooms; put the in paper bag in the refrigerator.  They will last a few days.



Mushrooms

Soup Queen's Ultimate Chicken Stock

When you need chicken stock for a Sunday soup, the best thing to do it to make it homemade.  Anytime you cut down a whole chicken, you can freeze the carcasses and use them later.    Stock takes a long time to make but you will get the most amazing rich, deep flavor and it can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Soup Queen's Ultimate Chicken Stock:

4 Pounds of chicken carcasses
1 Onion, quartered
4 Carrots, cut and peeled
5 Celery ribs, cut into pieces
1 Leek, cut in half
6 Sprigs of fresh parsley with stems
2 Turkish bay leaves
6 Sprigs of fresh thyme
2 Cloves of garlic, peeled
1 t. Salt
2 Gallons of water

Directions:
1.  Put chicken carcasses, vegtables, herbs and salt into a soup pot.
2.  Add water and put on high heat until almost a boil
3.  Turn down to medium heat and skim the scum from the top periodically.
4.  Simmer uncovered for 6-8 hours; adding more water as needed to keep the chicken/vegtables covered in water at all times.
5.  Strain the stock into air tight containers
6.  Place in refrigerator over night and remove any solitified fat from the surface before freezing.
7.  Prior to using, thaw the stock and bring it to a boil.

Makes 4-5 quarts

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

This is one of my favorites and I always can't wait until this time of year to enjoy it.  When you roast the pumpkins and vegetables, it gives the soup so much depth of flavor.  Try this one, you will for sure like it.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup:
3 Sugar pumpkins* - peeled, seeded and cubed
4 Carrots - peeled and chopped
2 Fuji Apples (or similar type apple) - peeled and sliced
2 Brown onions - Cut into wedges
1 Shallot - Cut into pieces
2 Cloves of garlic
3 T Olive oil
3 Quarts Chicken stock
1/2 C Heavy cream
1 1/4 t. Cinnamon
1 t. Ground nutmeg
1/2 t. Ground ginger
Salt to taste

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2.  Place pumpkin, carrots, shallot, garlic and onions in a baking/roasting dish.  Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. 
3.  Bake in preheated oven 1 hour; until soft (do not let blacken).
4.  In large soup pot, add chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Add apple and let soften about 20 minutes. 
5.  Combine roasted vegetables with the stock and apple.  Let come to a boil for 20 minutes and then puree in a food processor until smooth.
6.  Return to the soup pot while running through a sieve (strainer) over low heat for 30 additional minutes and stir in cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt the last 5 minutes. 
ENJOY!

Serves 6-8

Tip:  * Sugar pumpkins are used for cooking, they are different then the ones you carve for decoration.  They are usually about 2-3 pounds.

**Use a peeler to peel your pumpkin.  It makes it very easy and you don't waste any pumpkin.

Pumpkin

Trahana from Cyprus

Trahana Soup

When I was in Cyprus this year, I picked up some of my favorite soup makings; trahana.  In Cyprus, trahana is considered one of their national specialties.  Trahana is a fermented mixture of grain and sheep/goat yogurt/milk.  You can get sour trahana out here, usually at a Greek market, but the best is homemade in Cyprus by the shepherd's wife.   Thank you to Katarina, the shepherds wife and yaya Niki (grandma) for mine. 

Trahana:
12 cups of chicken stock
3 cups of trahana*, unsoaked
3 cups water
Juice of 2 lemons
Hallumi**, sliced in quarters
Salt/pepper

Directions:
Mix the trahana and the water in an airtight container.  Soak the trahana for at least 6 hours before you want to make the soup.  It is best soaked the entire night before; if you have the time.  While your trahana is soaking, you can make your stock.  Stock is best homemade if you have had a chicken lately but if not, a basic stock from the market is indeed all right to use.  Bring your stock to a boil and add the soaked trahana and all the juices.   Squeeze the juice of two lemons into the stock and let simmer for about 1 hour.  The last 5 minutes, add the sliced hallumi and turn off the heat.  Add salt/pepper to taste.  ENJOY! 

Serves 6-8

Tips:
*Trahana is best kept in a pillow case for dryness.  You can also keep a clove of garlic in it to keep out any pests.  It will last forever this way.

**Hallumi is a Cypriot cheese that is made from sheep's milk and will not melt.  You can buy it at any specialty Greek markets.