This navy bean soup, known as “fasolada” is Greece’s national dish. Simple and unassuming, this soup is both comforting and nutritious. Being vegan/vegetarian it is well suited for the season of lent, during which Greek’s forgo meat and dairy. One can also opt to top it with some crumbled feta for an added touch of saltiness and enjoy with a thick slice of country bread. Ingredients Preparation
Soups
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Continue ReadingWhen people hear that I write about Greek food, one of the most common recipe requests I receive is for chicken lemon soup or “avgolemono”. As popular as this dish may be, it’s not one that my mother-in-law cooks on a regular basis. As a result, I didn’t have a recipe to share until friend and fellow blogger, Tiffany, from Peanut Blossom, published “The Ultimate Kids’ Cookbook“. Reading through the book, I came across her recipe for “Greek Lemon Drop Chicken Soup”. With children that are increasingly looking to get involved in the kitchen, and knowing that my blog was…
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Continue ReadingWith fall comes the celebration of all things pumpkin and one of my favorites – pumpkin soup. While there is no shortage of Greek recipes for this wonderful vegetable, it is out of season during our summer visits, limiting my exposure. Instead, I draw inspiration from my childhood in Switzerland, where school children enjoyed two hour lunch breaks allowing for hearty home cooked meals. These lengthy interludes led to frequent lunch dates at friends’ homes, which provided exposure to a diverse range of cooking. On one such occasion, my friend’s French mother prepared pumpkin soup. What was particularly noteworthy about…
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Continue ReadingTraditionally served with “avgolemono” or egg-lemon sauce, our family’s Greek meatball recipe is slightly lighter, forgoing the egg and served instead in a clear lemony broth. Introduced to this version by my mother-in-law several years ago, it remains my favorite due to the broth, which reminds me of the beloved chicken noodle soup of my childhood. The ingredients are the same as those used to prepare stuffed grape and cabbage leaves. This lead my mother-in-law to lovingly refer to the dish as “orphan soup”, when first asked about it. Inquiring why it was named as such, she smiled and simply…
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Continue ReadingEvery coast line has its claim to fame seafood soups – French bisques, New England clam chowders, Spanish bouillabaisse… What makes this Greek seafood soup recipe special is that it is prepared without any olive oil or bone fish, making it suitable for the period of lent when Greeks follow a strict fast of no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, or oil. As the seafood and vegetables simmer, the soup develops a deliciously light broth. Once served, fresh lemon juice is squeezed over the soup, adding fresh citrus notes and a light tanginess. You can tailor the recipe to your preference…
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Continue ReadingThis “Everything Goes” soup, a gem from my mom, isn’t specifically Greek but follows the principles of the Mediterranean diet. Simple, healthy, hearty, a must-have in any cook’s repertoire. So what is it that makes it so great? Well, it’s not a recipe! While the soup calls for a few core ingredients, most of it is improvised based on what you have available. No matter how well you plan out your meals, it’s not uncommon to reach the end of the week and find the refrigerator stocked with various odds and ends. The poor lonely zucchini, the half head of…
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Continue ReadingAs fall sets in and temperatures begin to drop, one can’t help but get excited about soups. Our family enjoys a whole variety of them from spaghetti minestrone to seafood stew. When trying to choose which one to share first, I opted for my husband’s favorite and one that even my young children enjoy – lentil soup. This dish is both healthy and hearty thanks to the lentils, which are rich in protein and fiber, and easily serves as a main meal. We love to eat the soup with a thick slice of homemade bread. Another option, if you want to…