Say What?

Exactly.

But this soup by a funny name has a fantastic taste. I have been reciping (is that a word?) my way through this new Cooking Light magazine I got the other day and I am 3 for 3 on recipes that my family has loved, and this one was no exception. The magazine states that Avgolemono is an “amazingly creamy soup without a drop of cream.”

And I agree.

AVGOLEMONO Recipe

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 6 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 large egg slightly beaten
• 2 cups cooked chicken (shredded)
• 2 tbls torn fresh basil

Instructions: Heat dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic and saute. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add in rice, reduce heat, and simmer for about 16 minutes. Stir in juice, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and egg in a small bowl (whisk works great) and slowly pour the egg mixture into broth and stir constantly so the egg doesn’t curdle. Add chicken and cook until the soup thickens and the rice is done.  Top w/ Parsley and Basil.

(My bowl! Num Num!)

Now my recipe:

First, I left out the salt. I always feel like chicken broth needs no extra salt. I pan fried up my chicken and cut into pieces instead of shredding it (but poached chicken probably has less calories) and I used dried basil and parsley at the end since I didn’t have fresh on hand. I used prepared garlic because I don’t like to touch it. And this may sound odd, but I used Jasmine Rice. I try to find many excuses to use it.

To add some color: I think frozen peas or mushrooms would work nicely in this flavoring and also provide some much needed color. If you dont use torn basil, your sort of stuck with a bland looking soup, but it doesnt have a bland flavor.

~trisha