I first tried Avgolemono soup at a greek fast-food chain nearby called The Simple Greek. I instantly loved it because it tasted like Chicken Francaise sauce (which I already like to eat as soup when everyone has had their share of chicken😋).
According to Wikipedia, "Avgolemono, avgolémono (from Greek: αυγολέμονο or αβγολέμονο[1]) or egg-lemon sauce, is a family of sauces and soups made with egg yolk and lemon juice mixed with broth, heated until they thicken. They are found in Greek, Turkish, Arab, Sephardic Jewish, Balkan, and Italian cuisine."
I attempted the soup a few times this winter and found that it was difficult to avoid making the broth taste too "chickeny" or too "eggy." I just wanted the lemon and orzo to shine! Thanks to the infamous technology that displays targeted ads on our social media feeds, a "Creamy Vegan Greek Lemon Soup" picture smacked me in the face while scrolling on Instagram one day. It was so gorgeous!! Creamy yellow broth, red pepper flakes and herby dill scattered across the surface, and a giant, shiny lemon slice carefully floating on top. The ingredients are what intrigued me the most: white miso paste, nutritional yeast (nicknamed nooch), tahini, soysauce... all in a Greek soup? This is definitely a classic recipe, reimagined.
Please visit the link above for the full recipe and beautiful photos that made this dish a must try for me.
1. Sweat down onions, garlic, and carrots for about 10 minutes. Be careful not to brown them.
2. Add 2 vegetable bouillon cubes, 6 cups of water, 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast, and 1 tbsp of soy sauce.
3. Bring to a boil, lower to simmer. Add 1 cup of jasmine rice. Set a timer for about 20 minutes, and start the lemon sauce.
4. In a blender or food processor, add 2 tbsp. of tahini, 2 tbsp. of white miso paste, and 1/3 cup of lemon juice. It was about 3 small lemons for me.
5. Blend until smooth.
6. Take 2 cups of broth from the pot, and add to the lemon sauce. **Let broth cool a few minutes first.
7. Add the lemon and broth mixture back into the pot when the rice is finished cooking and stir.
8. Serve with parsley or dill, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes.
