Photo by Fotolia/Elzbieta Sekowska
Avgolemono, a traditional Greek soup, is a quick comfort food that's sure to impress.
4 servings SERVINGS
Ingredients
- 4 cups homemade or packaged chicken broth
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons long-grain white rice (if you prefer to use brown rice, change the cooking time in step 1 to 45 minutes, or follow package directions)
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chopped chervil
- Kosher salt if needed
Directions
- Bring chicken broth to boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in rice and simmer over low heat, partially covered, until rice is tender but still firm, 10 to 12 minutes (or longer for brown rice).
- Whisk together eggs and lemon juice until very smooth. Whisk a couple of ladles of the hot broth into the eggs, then vigorously whisk the eggs back into the soup. Turn heat to low.
- Switch to a wooden spoon and stir soup over low heat until it thickens enough to lightly coat the spoon, which should only take a minute. Do not let it come close to a simmer or eggs might curdle.
- Remove soup from heat and stir in chervil. The soup will thicken a little more as it sits for the next minute. Taste for salt, adding as much as a teaspoon if necessary. Serve immediately. Serves 4.Herbal Improvisations: Instead of chervil, stir in 2 tablespoons chopped dill, 1-1/2 tablespoons chopped tarragon, or 1/4 cup finely chopped chives.Learn more about cooking with culinary herbs in Traditional Herbal Recipes from Around the World.
Something made in 15 minutes with eggs, rice, lemon and broth might sound like everyday comfort food. This soup is undoubtedly soothing, but it also dazzles with elegant flavor and silkiness. I’ve added chervil to this classic Greek recipe because it has a suave peppery-anise flavor that doesn’t intrude on the simplicity of the soup.
