Giouvarlakia Recipe

This traditional Greek meatball soup finished off in a creamy egg lemon sauce is one of Greece’s most popular dishes in the cooler months. With a few key ingredients and very simple steps, you can create a beautiful meal for the entire family. 

 
Ingredients
  • 500 x grams lean minced beef
  • 1 x cup medium grain rice
  • 1/4 cup x parsley, chopped 
  • 1 x onion, chopped
  • 1 x clove garlic, chopped
  • 2 x lemons, juiced
  • 2 x eggs
  • 1/4 x cup olive oil
  • salt & pepper to taste
Method
  • Place mince, chopped onion, rice, garlic and parsley in a large bowl.
  • Add salt, pepper and olive oil. 
  • Knead the mixture with your hands, until smooth in texture. 
  • Allow to rest in fridge for 10 minutes.
  • Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way with water and bring to a boil.
  • Add the meatballs gently, one by one, using a spoon. 
  • Lower heat to medium and allow to simmer for 50 minutes. 
  • To make the lemon sauce, crack the eggs in a bowl and whisk. Add lemon juice and whisk well. 
  • Add 2 x ladles of juice from the soup into bowl and whisk thoroughly and quickly. 
  • Stir the egg lemon sauce into soup and cook for another couple of minutes on low heat. 

Recipe and Image by IN+SIGHTS GREECE © (Copyright) 

Traditional Avgolemono Recipe

Many countries around the world have their own rendition of chicken soup, and it’s always considered a deeply soothing food everywhere.

For Greeks, kotosoupa (also known as Avgolemono) is proven that when combined and cooked, the ingredients in this soup offer a powerhouse of health for treating colds, flu, and light fevers. It is considered especially beneficial for abating respiratory problems, sore throat and sniffles.

Hot chicken stock, made with the (ideally organic, free range) chicken meat and bones, is extremely hydrating and rich in proteins, B vitamins and minerals. It’s also rich in tryptophan, an antioxidant that boosts the production of feel-good serotonin in the brain. In combination with pasta or rice, which are rich in carbohydrates, the soup offers energy too.

The other ingredients in Greek chicken soup are carrots, celery and onion. Carrots are
high in vitamin A and K, as well as potassium and antioxidants, celery is packed with antioxidants and has an anti-pyretic effect because it’s anti-inflammatory and alkalizing, and onion has antibacterial properties among many other benefits.

Finally, Greek kotosoupa is classically made with the addition of avgolemono at the end, which just adds to the health-boosting goodness of this dish. Avgolemono is made by beating two egg yolks or a whole egg plus one yolk and then adding the freshly squeezed juice of a lemon. Egg yolks are rich in Omega 3s, vitamins D, A and B12, folate, phosphorus and selenium, all essential components for strengthening the body’s immune system. Lemon is high in antioxidants and especially vitamin C, promotes hydration and aids digestion.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken
    (ideally organic, free range), cut into pieces
  • 1 cup rice
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped
  • 4 stems of celery, finely chopped
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 lemons
  • 2 eggs
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • olive oil

Method

  • Wash chicken thoroughly.
  • Chop carrots, celery, onion and garlic.
  • Place chicken in large stockpot and fill 3/4 of the way with water. Bring to rapid boil, then lower heat to medium/low. 
  • Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and a dash of olive oil. Cook for 30 minutes.
  • Add rice and boil for another 30 minutes. 
  • Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl, gradually adding the lemon juice. Add about 2 ladlefuls of stock and whisk it into the eggs. 
  • Return the egg mixture into stockpot and cook over low heat until soup starts to thicken, without letting it boil.

*Recipe & Image by IN+SIGHTS GREECE © (Copyright)