Avgolemono Meatball Soup Recipes

YOUVARLAKIA AVGOLEMONO (GREEK MEATBALL-EGG/LEMON SOUP)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the meat, minced onion, garlic, rice, 3 tablespoons chopped parsley, the mint, oregano, salt and pepper, and 1 egg, slightly beaten.
• Knead for a few minutes, then shape into walnut-sized meatballs and set aside.
• In a soup pot, bring the water or stock to boil and add the meatballs.
• Cook for 20 minutes.
• Add chopped onion, celery, carrot, zucchini and potato. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Lower the heat and gently simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes (until the vegetables are tender), then remove from the heat.
• To prepare avgolemono: beat the two remaining eggs for 2 minutes and whisk in the corn flour.
• While beating all the while, gradually add the lemon juice.
• Then add 1 cup of the hot broth in a slow, steady stream (ladle), beating steadily, until nearly all the hot liquid has been added.
• Add the egg/stock mixture back to the soup pot and heat, being careful not to let it boil, stirring, until thickened.
• Serve hot, garnished with parsley.
• Serve this with feta cheese on the side- goes great with the little meatballs.

AVGOLEMONO MEATBALL SOUP

Steps:

• 1. In a bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion, rice, parsley, dill, olive oil, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
• 2. Knead the mixture for a minute, with wet hands to prevent sticking, until well blended. Then form into meatballs about an inch in diameter.
• 3. As you finish making the meatballs, roll them on a platter filled with some flour until coated on all sides and set aside.
• 4. In a pot, bring the broth, butter, and green onion to a boil over high heat.
• 5. Add the meatballs a few at a time (so the broth stays at a boil), then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the rice is tender, about 30 minutes.
• 6. When the 30 minutes are almost up beat the eggs in a small bowl, then whisk in the lemon juice a little at a time, beating constantly.
• 7. Add a ladle full of hot broth to the lemon and egg mixture, beating all the time. Now add the lemon and egg mixture to the meatball soup, stirring the whole time, and as soon as it's added remove from the heat and serve.
• 8. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice if desired.

YOUVARLAKIA AVGOLEMONO (LEMONY GREEK MEATBALL SOUP)

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, 1/4 cup dill, onion, carrot, rice, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Gently mix with your hands until well combined.
• Gently form the mixture into 24 meatballs, each about 1 1/4 inches in diameter, placing them on a plate or baking pan. Cover and chill for at least 20 minutes or up to 24 hours. This helps the meatballs keep their shape while cooking.
• In a large pot, bring stock to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium and use a slotted spoon to carefully add meatballs to the pot. The broth should cover the tops of the meatballs by about 1/2 inch. If not, add a little water. Simmer gently, adjusting the heat so the broth doesn't boil, until meatballs are cooked through and rice is tender, 25 to 35 minutes. (Break open a meatball to test it.) Remove pot from heat.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and lemon juice until just mixed. Slowly add a ladle of warm broth to egg-lemon mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk in another two ladles of broth to temper the egg mixture.
• Slowly drizzle the egg-lemon mixture back into the pot with the meatballs, stirring gently so you don't break apart the meatballs. Return the pot to medium-low heat until it just starts to simmer. (Wait for a bubble or two to appear, but don't let the pot boil.) The broth should be silky. Remove from heat, stir in remaining 1/2 cup dill. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed. (It may need quite a bit of salt if you are starting with unsalted broth.) Garnish with nutmeg, if you like, and dill, and serve.

AVGOLEMONO

Steps:

• Place the chicken, bay leaf and broth in a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer 1 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and let it cool.
• Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Clean out any scum in the bottom of the pot and add the broth back to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then add the orzo and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Check for seasoning here, as you may need to add a few teaspoons salt.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon zest and juice and the flour. Whisk the eggs into the lemon mixture. Pour a little of the simmering broth slowly over the egg mixture and whisk it together. Reduce the heat under the broth to low and whisk in the egg mixture. The soup will thicken slightly and become cloudy. Make sure you don't bring the soup to a rolling boil after you add the eggs. Your eggs will scramble, which will leave you with more of an egg drop soup (which would still be fantastic, but just not the same).
• Chop up the chicken, removing the skin and bones, and add it to the soup along with the dill. Serve immediately.

MEATBALL SOUP " AVGOLEMONO"

Steps:

• Combine the first 8 ingredients and make meatballs 1 inch diameter. Let them stand in the refrigerator.
• Put the vegetables in a large pot and cover with water. Add the 4 tbsp of live oil, salt and pepper and let simmer in medium heat for 20-30 minutes (the time will depend on how big the cubes of your vegetables are, so better check with a fork), until they are just becoming tender.
• Add the meatballs and let simmer for 20-25 minutes more. You should add more water if it evaporates.
• When meatballs and vegetables are cooked, remove from the heat.
• Beat the egg whites until they become frothy. Add the egg yolks and the juice of the lemon and beat until they are incorporated.
• Now this step is crucial if you don't want your eggs to be fried in the soup. Add one table spoon of hot soup in the bowl with the beaten eggs and stir. Repeat adding one tablespoon of hot soup at a time, until the egg and soup mixture is hot in itself. I think 1 cup of soup is enough for that. Then add the egg and soup mixture into the pot with the hot (not boiling) soup and gently stir.
• Serve with fresh grounded black pepper.
• Correction: Forgot to mention that it is usually served hot in cold winter days. But I find no reason why a cold serving wouldn't be appealing to some as a cold soup, as a reviewer mentioned.