Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

We have had a few days here and there that are good soup days, but they are still few and far between at the moment.  Soon, though, it will be soup weather every day.  For instance, yesterday and today, the weather was and is still in the 80’s.  A perfect day in my mind.  But tomorrow, the weather is supposed to dip into the 60’s.  Still a perfect day, but cooler.  I love the cooler weather.  On those few cooler days we have had, I have made a couple of big pots of soup.  We eat some and freeze the rest for later.  For my last batch of soup, I made a lighter soup rather than a thick hearty chowder.  It was a good light soup for a warmer day, especially since I served it with a light salad and some warmed bread, and a light, citrusy chardonnay.  It was a perfect light meal for a warm fall day, out on our beloved deck.  And the best part was that both the soup and the salad were from …. you guessed it, leftovers.  I tossed my leftover green beans with garlic, onions and tomatoes into my lettuce Loaded Pork and Potato Casserole, added some more tomatoes and some dressing, and voila.  The soup was made from my leftover rotisserie chicken.  The Queen and I are very close, intimate friends.  She is always popping over to inspire me on how to re-create with my leftovers.

Almost every culture around the world has its own version of chicken soup.  We all are familiar with the healing and comforting qualities of chicken soup.  There are as many variations of chicken soup as their are countries in the world, so there is no specific or right way to make it.  As with anything, there is always room for your own interpretations of the soup.  This particular version of chicken soup is a Greek version, known as Avgolemono.  This soup is very iconic to the Greek culture.  It is served in every Greek restaurant, bistro or diner, and is always served as the first course at any Greek celebration, holiday or event.  Eggs are mixed into the broth to thicken it and lemon juice and/or zest is used to brighten the color and to make the soup a refreshing light meal that is perfect any time of year.  I finally used up the LAST of my first HUGE zucchini too. A Wacky Wednesday

Greek Lemony Chicken Soup

1 1/2-2 lbs of cooked chicken, skinned and bones removed, shredded

1 yellow onion, peeled and diced fine

1 TBSP garlic

5 cups chicken broth

3-4 cups water

1 cup uncooked rice

2 eggs

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 zucchini, diced fine

1 yellow or crookneck squash, diced fine

olive oil

1-2 tsp each fresh oregano and thyme, plus more for garnish

salt and white pepper to taste

 

Saute the onions, garlic and squash together in the olive oil until the onions are translucent.

Once the vegetables are done, add the broth and water and bring to a boil, then add the rice.  Bring to a boil again, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook until the rice is fully cooked, about 20 or so minutes.

When the rice is cooked, remove about 1 cup of the broth and slowly add to the eggs, while mixing them with a mixer.  If you add the hot broth directly to the eggs, without constantly mixing them, you are going to scramble the eggs and that is not what you want at all.

When the egg mixture is frothy, add it back into the soup and mix well.  Then add the chicken, lemon juice, seasonings and the fresh herbs.  I just mixed my fresh herbs in with the chicken and added them together.

Mix everything together, and it is now time to serve up the soup.