Greek Classic Soup Simplified

The Greek Heritage Cooking recipe for Avgolemono soup calls for cooking one whole chicken, and once it's been cooked fully and released all of its goodness into the broth, the chicken is removed and left to cool. Rice is added and seasonings are adjusted. Meanwhile, while the rice cooks, the cook must debone the chicken and shred the meat into large pieces. When the rice is done, the chicken meat is added back to the pot, the Avgolemono is prepared and slowly stirred back into the pot.

There is another traditional dish called Yiouvarlakia, which my mother prepared occasionally, and a soup by the same name--basically a brothy version of Yiouvarlakia, which is where my inspiration for my soup recipe came from. They are both finished with the creamy and lemony Avgolemono sauce, a popular comfort food feature all over Greece.

Creamy, dreamy, and comforting on the palate.

For the experienced cook, this is not a difficult process or recipe. For a young professional juggling the demands of a busy work schedule and home life, this might be something that's prepared once a year. My simplified version uses meatballs (which ideally are prepped ahead and frozen) and frozen artichoke hearts to replace the rice. There is an option to add baby spinach at the end for boosted nutrition.

For a printable recipe, click here.

And the options are. Instead of meatballs, you can use a store-bought roasted chicken that you can debone. If you want a meatless dish, double the artichokes and stir in the spinach at the end. If you cannot find artichokes, try large frozen peas. They'll add a delicate sweetness to the soup.

And do not forget, please, the very traditional Greek standbys for every dish, FETA AND CRUSTY BREAD. You cannot cook Greek and not eat Greek without Feta and bread. It's just wrong!