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I am tired as fook. But I had to share, quickly. Very quickly, as I sit here watching Ruby (the show, not a nickname for Miss Abigail Ruby). This recipe for avgolemono soup is pure sunshine, y’all! Zippy. Clean. Tempting. It reminds me of keylimes, and keeps driving me to the fridge for another lick from the back of a spoon. You can almost taste Santorini. If nothing else, it makes me want to wear white, blue, and yellow, rig a scarf through my hair and slip on hoop earrings. I might even wear flats.
This particular recipe has toothsome meatballs (beef or lamb) bobbing in a golden pool of unconditional love. If you’re going to eat your feelings, start with this cookbook. The last time I constructed this puppy, I rolled the balls in flour, as the recipe indicates (which helps to thicken the soup), but this time I skipped it, hoping to make it gluten-free for a friend (just not as good. Needs Pamela’s Gluten-free baking mix in place of flour). I have to say, The Best Soups in the World is quickly becoming one of my new favorite go-to cookbooks.
I’ll post later all about this weekend and my Austin Food Blogger road trip to San Antonio, sponsored by Chevrolet. This is a sneak at what I made with my farmer’s market finds. What you don’t see is the local ground lamb I used for the meatballs (and the fresh mint).
INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef (or ground lamb)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup short grain rice
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of ground cinnamon (I actually used 3 pinches)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour for dredging meatballs (or gluten-free substitute)
5 cups beef broth
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
DIRECTIONS
1. In a bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion, rice, parsley, dill, olive oil, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Knead the mixture for a minute, with wet hands to prevent sticking, until well blended. Then form into meatballs about an inch in diameter. As you finish making the meatballs, roll them in a platter filled with some flour until coated on all sides and set aside in the refrigerator until needed, unless you are cooking straight away.
2. In a pot, bring the broth and butter to a boil over high heat, add the meatballs a few at a time (so the broth stays at the boil), then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the rice is tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the eggs, then whisk in the lemon juice a little at a time, beating constantly. Add a ladleful 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. Enjoy the hell out of it.
COMMENTS:
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This looks sublime, even just from the ingredients! Scanning across with my eyes, it’s like I can taste all the different flavors, isolated, blending together. Lovely!
I’m exactly 0% Greek but I’d love to learn some of their recipes, something about them is so perfect and full of life. I already just put oregano on everything, when I’m too lazy to cook properly, especially fried potatoes. Mmm.
THIS IS AVGOLEMONO-and I am 100% Greek!
Yes, that’s what I wrote, right?
I was doing my rendition of
THIS
IS
SPARTA,
to
THIS
IS
AVGOLEMONO!!!
AVGOLEMONO, it’s the MERCEDES of GREEK soups… today you made me blue and white and cross all over…
I am now craving soup and fish poached in olive oil, with lemon, and table wine. Post the recipe!
You’re like Spring, Ms. Klein! I just ordered the book. Now, please before it arrives, post the recipe already!
So dorky of me to ask, but I’m at Parsons and completely obsessed with fonts these days. What’s the font you used to point out the products in your photo?
CK_Alis_Hand_Official.ttf
Do a search, and I’m sure you’ll find it.
Not too long ago, you posted on your facebook page what CD you were addicted to lately. I remembering loving the lyrics, but now I can’t find it. Can you help a girl out?
I just returned from Santorini! You’re right, it’s all blue and white, with curves and stacks, makes for great photographs. I actually thought of you, even though you don’t know me, on my trip. Greek Tragedy and all. Plus, I think you recently posted to an archived post about expectations, set in Santorini. Weird how blogging works.
My son loves meat, and my daughter only likes veggies. Somehow I think she’ll love this soup, though. Recipe please.
Yum. I love lite-bright soup. It tastes like there’s cream in it!
I too am addicted to Ruby. I sometimes imagine that’s how the people in your life talk, with that same accent. Even though she’s in Savannah. I still get the feeling she talks the way your friends in Texas talk. Am I completely off?
Fook. Officially my new word. Merci.
Can’t wait to read your post on San Antonio… that oughtta be interesting (or not) to read!
thanks!
I want to hear about your roadtrip to SA woman! Don’t you have pictures of cars to post?
Thanks for the gluten free shout out. My husband was just diagnosed with Celiac, and I dont even know where to begin…
(raising hand) I watch Ruby, too. Loved Moose. Basically love all books, shows, films focused on weight loss and metamorphosis.
Loved this. You make me want to travel.
Stephanie, Where did you find that MOREA Extra Virgin Olive Oil??
I’ve been looking all over for it and can’t find it anywhere!
Williams Sonoma!
Really? I feel blind as I’m in there all the time.. Thank you so much :)
San Antonio was fun! So glad that you and Shannon could join us. I’m also a font nerd and was wondering myself how you found that font. Your site is beautiful!
Love the new pic you added! Makes me want to suck something sour.
Ahem. Klein, the recipe!
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not sure if you’ll still see this, since this post is from so long ago! but – can you tell me what program you used to add those words to the image? do you use photoshop? or something else? many thanks!
Sounds like you were making youvarelakia (meatballs dotted with rice in avgolemono) If you love avgolemono I would recommend chicken soup avgolemono, the best winter soup ever! It one of the Christmas day staples here in my husbands village in southern Greece
RECIPE
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup short grain rice
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of ground cinnamon (I actually used 3 pinches)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour for dredging meatballs
5 cups beef broth
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
1. In a bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion, rice, parsley, dill, olive oil, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Knead the mixture for a minute, with wet hands to prevent sticking, until well blended. Then form into meatballs about an inch in diameter. As you finish making the meatballs, roll them in a platter filled with some flour until coated on all sides and set aside in the refrigerator until needed, unless you are cooking straight away.
2. In a pot, bring the broth and butter to a boil over high heat, add the meatballs a few at a time (so the broth stays at the boil), then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the rice is tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the eggs, then whisk in the lemon juice a little at a time, beating constantly. Add a ladleful 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. Enjoy the hell out of it.