On the MENU this week. Avgolemono Soup

Easter will be upon us very soon and some of us are making plans to have a family lunch. With the weather not too warm, we thought a soup might be a great dish to start the meal. We love this light lemony Chicken based soup which is often served at holidays or celebrations in Greece. It is not difficult to make

Using a whole fresh chicken makes all the difference. This makes 6 - 8 Servings

1 whole organic chicken, innards removed, 1.5 kg approx - water – 2 carrots, roughly chopped – 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped – 1 onion, roughly chopped – 2 bay leaves – 5 black peppercorns – 1 t salt – half a cup rice or orzo rice shaped pasta (optional) – 3 fresh eggs, at room temperature – juice of 2 lemons, strained – zest of one lemon – salt and freshly ground black pepper – chopped parsley or a herb of your choice

Trim all the excess fat off the chicken, put into a large pot with the vegetables and add enough water to cover the chicken by 5 cm. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1½ hours. Take out the chicken, remove the meat and set aside for use later. Strain the stock to remove the vegetables and skim off any fat

Add the rice or orzo pasta, if using, and cook until tender

While the rice or orzo is cooking, whisk the eggs in a separate bowl until very frothy, then add the lemon juice to the egg in a thin stream while you continue whisking

Put 2 ladlefuls of the hot soup stock into a separate bowl, then slowly add the egg and lemon mixture. This will help to prevent the soup curdling. (Do not add the hot soup to the eggs). Put the egg and lemon soup mixture back into the rest of the soup and heat gently. Do not boil once the egg has been added

Taste and adjust seasoning to your own taste, then sprinkle on the lemon zest and some parsley before you serve Traditionally, this soup is served without the chicken meat or vegetables. We like to add some of the chicken to each bowl. You can always use them in another recipe 

Traditionally, this soup is served without the chicken meat or vegetables. We like to add some of the chicken to each bowl. You can always use them in another recipe

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