Greek soups are perhaps not as widely known as other Greek dishes, but we think they are well worth trying. We've put together a list of recipes for 7 delicious soups. Just click on the links to go to the recipes.
Eat and Enjoy!
Showing posts with label Soups. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Soups. Show all posts
Greek Pinto Beans (Handres) In The Oven
Handres (Pinto Beans or alternatively Cranberry Beans) are very popular in Greece. This is a way of preparing them in a covered clay oven dish, called a dava, in the oven. You should use fresh beans, which you remove from their pods. The clay dish needs to have a well-fitting cover, allowing no air gaps. A tasty and nutritious dish, also suitable for vegetarians and vegans - and very simple to prepare!
Ingredients
1 kg fresh pinto beans
2 carrots diced
2 onions grated
1 potato diced
1 sweet red pepper diced
1 red chilli pepper diced
400 ml tomato freshly grated
2 tbsp celery leaves chopped
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp cayenne pepper
120 ml olive oil
1½ litres water
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Preparation
Put all the ingredients into a clay oven dish.
Cover the dish well and put in a pre heated oven at
150 degrees Celsius for approx. 2 hours, until there is just a little liquid
left.
If you've tried this recipe please rate it!
If you've tried this recipe please rate it!
Eat and Enjoy!
Greek Chickpeas with Spinach (Revithia me Spanaki)
A really nutritious and tasty dish, also suitable for vegetarians and vegans. This is especially popular in the northern regions of Greece, where they often eat dishes with chickpeas and vegetables. It's also very simple and quick to prepare - the only time-consuming part is soaking the chickpeas overnight. Do try it - you'll be pleasantly surprised!
Ingredients
250g chickpeas
1 kg fresh spinach roughly chopped
1 onion whole
1 large red pepper diced
2 chilli peppers finely chopped
2 tomatoes skinned and diced
1 bunch spring onions finely chopped
4 tbsp wild fennel finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp lemon juice
120 ml olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Soak the chickpeas overnight.
Boil the chickpeas along with the whole onion. During
the first 15 minutes, remove the foam that forms at the top and then replace
the water with fresh boiling water.
Continue boiling until the chickpeas are tender – this
will probably take over an hour.
Drain and set aside.
Put the oil in a pan, add the spring onions, red
pepper and chilli peppers and sauté for approx. 2-3 minutes.
Add the cumin and paprika, stir and then add the
tomatoes.
Simmer for 5 minutes and add the spinach, chickpeas
and fennel.
Stir, add salt and simmer for another 10 minutes with
the pan uncovered to allow the liquid – mainly from the spinach – to evaporate.
Add parsley, lemon juice and pepper and remove from
the heat.
If you've tried this recipe please rate it!
If you've tried this recipe please rate it!
Eat and Enjoy!
Greek Vegetarian Magiritsa
This is an easy recipe for a vegetarian alternative to Magiritsa, which we posted yesterday and is traditionally eaten after the midnight service on Easter Saturday. It's basically an alternative soup for those who are vegetarian or who do not like magiritsa. It's very, very nourishing and terribly easy and quick to make.
Ingredients
½ kg spinach roughly cut
250g button mushrooms chopped
2 artichokes finely sliced
250g spring onions finely chopped
2tbsp dill finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh mint finely chopped
2 tbsp sweet trahanas or soup rice
50g butter
4 tbsp double cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preparation
Put the butter ina pan and sauté the spring onions for
approx. 2 minutes.
Add the artichokes and mushrooms and continue to sauté
for another 2 minutes.
Add the spinach, dill and mint, turn the mixture once
and add approx. 200ml water.
Bring to the boil and add the trahanas or soup rice.
Simmer for about 20 minutes.
Add the cream, turn up the heat and bring to the boil.
Add the salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
If you've tried this recipe please rate it!
If you've tried this recipe please rate it!
Eat and Enjoy!
Greek Lentil Soup
This is an incredibly simple dish and popular in the villages especially, in the cold winter months. It is not so much the lentil soup that is so enjoyable as the whole meal with the accompaniments - feta cheese covered in olive oil and sprinkled with oregano; olives and bread, ideally olive pitta bread - see the photo above. The recipe for olive pitta bread is here.
Ingredients
½ kg brown lentils
1 medium onion grated
5 cloves garlic roughly chopped
60 ml olive oil
2 bay leaves
Pinch of oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Rinse the lentils well in a colander under running water.
Put them in the pan with the onion, garlic, bay leaves and oregano.
Add enough water to cover them plus another 2 fingers approx. above them.
Bring to the boil and then simmer for at least 1 hour or until the lentils have become very tender.
When ready, add the oil, salt and pepper and stir.
If you've tried this recipe please rate it!
If you've tried this recipe please rate it!
Eat and Enjoy!
Greek Polisporo Soup
This 'multi-grain' or 'multi-seed' soup (sporos is the Greek word for seed) is really a kind of broth. It is traditionally made in villages on November 21st. The reasons for this are that it is the end of the planting season and so any grains / seeds that were left over would be cooked as a soup and this would also be 'offered' to the Virgin Mary (November 21st is one of her name days) in the hope that their crops would do well. It really is a delicious broth and very easy to prepare.
Ingredients
100g lentils
100g chickpeas
100g haricot beans
100g corn
100g broad beans
200g whole wheat
100 ml olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon
Salt
Preparation
Soak the broad beans in cold water from the morning of the previous day.
Soak the chickpeas in tepid water with 1 level tablespoon of salt from the previous day.
Next day, rinse the chickpeas thoroughly in plenty of water.
Drain the broad beans and with the help of a sharp knife remove the upper black parts.
Put all the ingredients in a heavy bottomed pan with enough water to more than cover them.
Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.
Drain them and then put them back in the same pan and add boiling water – enough to cover them plus 4 cm.
Simmer for 2 hours.
Add salt to taste.
Beat the olive oil and lemon juice together well and pour on top of the soup.
Serve hot.
If you've tried this recipe please rate it!
If you've tried this recipe please rate it!
Eat and Enjoy!
Greek Bean Soup - Fasolada
This is a simple and extremely popular dish - some people say that this, in fact, is the real Greek national dish! It's very easy to prepare, the only time-consuming part is soaking the beans overnight. nd it's tasty and nutritious, ideally eaten with fresh bread and olives.
Ingredients
½ kg haricot beans
1 large onion grated
2 carrots diced
1 tablespoons roughly chopped celery leaves
1 red hot chilli pepper
½ tablespoon tomato paste
150 ml slightly concentrated tomato juice
150 ml olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preparation
Soak the beans overnight.
The next day put the beans in a deep pan with enough water to cover them.
Boil them, but before they come to the boil remove with a wooden spoon the froth that comes up to the surface.
After they come to the boil simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove the beans and drain them in a colander.
Put them back in the pan and add enough boiled water to cover them. (about 2 fingers above the surface of the beans)
Add all the remaining ingredients and simmer for 1 hour or more – until the beans are tender.
If you've tried this recipe please rate it!
If you've tried this recipe please rate it!
Eat and Enjoy!
Greek Avgolemono Soup
We got a request for the recipe for this soup, so here it is. Avgolemono is a Greek egg and lemon juice mixture - avgo meaning egg and lemoni meaning lemon. The soup is made with this juice added to chicken and rice and, as well as being tasy, is also very healthy. When you are making it, it is important for the eggs to be as fresh as possible.
Ingredients
1kg whole chicken cut into 4
150g rice suitable for soups
1 medium onion whole
1 medium carrot chopped
2 fresh eggs
Celery leaves from one stalk
4 tablespoons lemon juice
Pepper freshly ground
Salt
Preparation
In a deep pan with 2 litres of water boil the chicken quarters, whole onion, carrot, celery leaves and salt for at least 1 hour or until the chicken is tender.
Remove the chicken and the onion from the pan.
Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and discard.
Cut the flesh of the chicken into small pieces and set aside.
Add the rice to the pot, cover it and simmer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the avgolemono.
Firstly, beat the egg whites thoroughly in a mixer or even in a deep bowl with a whisk.
When the egg whites have become stiff and frothy, add the yolks and continue to beat until they are completely mixed.
Put the lemon juice in a jug and add to it 2 cups of liquid from the pan.
Slowly pour this juice into the egg mixture, whisking continuously.
When the rice is cooked, remove it from the heat and add the chicken back into the pan.
Add the avgolemono (lemon juice and egg mixture) to the pan and give the pan a few small shakes.
The soup should be served with freshly ground pepper.
If you've tried this recipe please rate it!
If you've tried this recipe please rate it!
Eat and Enjoy!
Yoghurt Soup
Refreshing, healthy, simple and quick! What more can you ask for?
Ingredients
2 lit. water
1 cup "corcoto" (crushed wheat)
5 - 6 tablespoons strained yoghurt
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon mint
1 tbsp salt
Preparation
Wash the wheat well and boil in the water for 15 minutes.
Add the salt and continue boiling for another 5 - 10 minutes.
Put the yoghurt in a bowl and add just enough liquid from the pan to dilute it and then add it to the soup mixture.
In a frying pan, melt the butter and add the mint to it and then add this to the soup.
Simple, eh?!
Eat and Enjoy
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