Guest Post: How to Make Cypriot Avgolemoni Soup

When people think of the delicious cuisine available on the island of Cyprus, they often think immediately of the grilled meats, flavoured vegetables and Mediterranean fare. The warm climate means that much of the cooking and food is done outside in order to stay cool. However, there are certainly times of year when the weather is colder than normal and nothing will satisfy quite like a bowl of hot soup. One of the most traditional and well known Cypriot soups is Avgolemoni soup. This is a simple chicken, rice and egg soup that comes alive thanks to a burst of fresh lemon flavour. If you are planning holiday ideas for an upcoming trip to Cyprus or staying in one of the many Cyprus villas and trying to embrace the local spirit, consider making a batch of the Cypriot Avgolemoni soup. The recipe is simple to follow and certainly delicious.

Image by Sebastian Mary, Flickr.

When to Eat Avgolemoni Soup

This dish is a true comfort food for Cypriot residents. It is often made for small children when the weather is cold or for adults when they are sick. The heat of the soup warms the body as well as the soul, and the simple ingredients make it easy for even the ill to digest. It also has traditional roots in the Greek Orthodox Church. It is the recommended meal to enjoy after the Easter midnight mass as a way to signify the end of the Lent.

Ingredients  Required

The ingredients needed to make Cypriot Avgolemoni soup are very basic. This is one of the reasons that the dish is so popular, as it is affordable to make and can feed many people at one time. The ingredients required to make the soup are one whole uncooked chicken, one cup of rice, three whole eggs and two lemons. In some recipes, you will also need a teaspoon of flour or cornstarch to thicken up the soup. If you do not want to use a whole chicken, you can opt to use store bought chicken stock instead and simply supplement the dish with some roasted or baked chicken on the side.

Boil the Chicken

The first step is to fill a large pot with water and let it boil. You can then add the whole chicken to the pot and let it cook for 20 minutes or until the meat is nearly cooked. At this stage, it is important to check and see how much water has remained in the pot after evaporation. You only need one litre of water, so if there is any extra be sure to empty the pot slightly. At this point you can also begin to remove the chicken from the bones and diced the meat up into small pieces.

Add Rice

Once the chicken has been removed from the bones and the water is boiling again, add in one cup of rice to the mixture. Wait for the rice to soften before moving to the next step of the process.

Adds Eggs and Lemon

In a small bowl, beat the eggs until the yolks and whites are well combined. Squeeze the two lemons and add the juice to the egg mixture along with some cooled chicken stock or a cup of cold water. Slowly add this mixture to the pot of chicken broth and rice. Turn off the heat and stir slowly until the soup is ready.

Once the soup has cooked, it is traditionally served with some salt and pepper to taste. Serve the Cypriot Avgolemoni soup along with freshly baked bread as a way to enjoy the flavours of Cyprus in your own home.

Dinner Style By: Guest