Asparagus And Dill Avgolemono Soup Food

AVGOLEMONO SOUP

Steps:

• Place chicken, chopped onion, celery, carrot, bay leaves, and oregano in a large pot. Pour water over the top; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, skimming foam as necessary, until chicken is falling off the bone, 60 to 90 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Transfer chicken to a bowl to cool, strain all vegetables from simmering broth, discard vegetables, and return broth to the pot. Chop cooked chicken meat.
• Combine 2 cups diced onion, olive oil, and a pinch of salt in a large skillet. Cook and stir onion mixture over medium heat until onion is soft, sweet, and golden, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Stir onion mixture into chicken broth in the pot and set over medium-low heat; add Arborio rice and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is very tender and broth flavors combine, about 45 minutes.
• Whisk eggs, cayenne pepper, and black pepper together in a bowl; whisk in lemon juice. Slowly pour 1 cup broth mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Add 1 more cup of broth to egg mixture and whisk. Pour egg mixture into broth in the pot, add chopped chicken, and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes more.

AVGOLEMONO

Steps:

• Place the chicken, bay leaf and broth in a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer 1 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and let it cool.
• Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Clean out any scum in the bottom of the pot and add the broth back to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then add the orzo and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Check for seasoning here, as you may need to add a few teaspoons salt.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon zest and juice and the flour. Whisk the eggs into the lemon mixture. Pour a little of the simmering broth slowly over the egg mixture and whisk it together. Reduce the heat under the broth to low and whisk in the egg mixture. The soup will thicken slightly and become cloudy. Make sure you don't bring the soup to a rolling boil after you add the eggs. Your eggs will scramble, which will leave you with more of an egg drop soup (which would still be fantastic, but just not the same).
• Chop up the chicken, removing the skin and bones, and add it to the soup along with the dill. Serve immediately.

ASPARAGUS AND DILL AVGOLEMONO SOUP

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan cook the leek, the onion, and the celery with salt and pepper to taste in the butter over moderate heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened, add the asparagus pieces, the broth, and the water, and simmer the mixture, covered for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender. Purée the soup in batches in a blender or food processor until it is smooth, transferring it as it is puréed to another large heavy saucepan, and let it cool to lukewarm.
• In a saucepan of boiling water cook the reserved asparagus tips for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they are tender, and transfer them with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop the cooking. Drain the asparagus tips and reserve them.
• In a heatproof bowl whisk together the eggs and 1/4 cup of the lemon juice, add 1 cup of the lukewarm soup in a stream, whisking, and whisk the egg mixture into the remaining soup. Cook the soup over moderately low heat, whisking and being careful not to let it boil, until it is thickened slightly and registers 160°F. on a candy thermometer and whisk in the minced dill, the additional lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. (The soup may be prepared up to this point 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. To reheat the soup, cook it over low heat, stirring, until it is hot, being careful not to let it boil.) Serve the soup either hot or chilled, garnished with the reserved asparagus tips and the dill sprigs.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON AND DILL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• In a shallow dish, toss the asparagus, olive oil and salt and pepper together.
• Lay the asparagus in one level layer.
• Place in oven and roast, uncovered for approximately 10 minutes, or until the asparagus is just tender.
• Transfer to a serving plate.
• Whisk the lemon juice, lemon zest, dill, olive oil and honey together in a small bowl.
• Top the asparagus with some of the dressing and keep the rest on the side.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON AND DILL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss asparagus with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and browned in spots, 20 minutes. Toss with red-pepper flakes, dill and lemon zest.

YOUVARLAKIA AVGOLEMONO (LEMONY GREEK MEATBALL SOUP)

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, 1/4 cup dill, onion, carrot, rice, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Gently mix with your hands until well combined.
• Gently form the mixture into 24 meatballs, each about 1 1/4 inches in diameter, placing them on a plate or baking pan. Cover and chill for at least 20 minutes or up to 24 hours. This helps the meatballs keep their shape while cooking.
• In a large pot, bring stock to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium and use a slotted spoon to carefully add meatballs to the pot. The broth should cover the tops of the meatballs by about 1/2 inch. If not, add a little water. Simmer gently, adjusting the heat so the broth doesn't boil, until meatballs are cooked through and rice is tender, 25 to 35 minutes. (Break open a meatball to test it.) Remove pot from heat.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and lemon juice until just mixed. Slowly add a ladle of warm broth to egg-lemon mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk in another two ladles of broth to temper the egg mixture.
• Slowly drizzle the egg-lemon mixture back into the pot with the meatballs, stirring gently so you don't break apart the meatballs. Return the pot to medium-low heat until it just starts to simmer. (Wait for a bubble or two to appear, but don't let the pot boil.) The broth should be silky. Remove from heat, stir in remaining 1/2 cup dill. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed. (It may need quite a bit of salt if you are starting with unsalted broth.) Garnish with nutmeg, if you like, and dill, and serve.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH ORZO, CARROTS, DILL, AND AVGOLEMONO SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large stainless-steel frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over moderate heat. Season the chicken breasts with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and add to the pan. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken; add the broth, dill, and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, until the chicken is just done, about 4 minutes. Remove the chicken and cover lightly with aluminum foil to keep warm. Set aside the pan with the broth.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the orzo for 6 minutes. Add the carrots and continue cooking until the orzo and carrots are just done, about 6 minutes longer. Drain and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
• In a medium glass or stainless-steel bowl, beat the eggs, lemon juice, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper until frothy. Bring the chicken broth back to a simmer and add to the eggs in a thin stream, whisking. Pour the mixture back into the pan and whisk over the lowest possible heat until the sauce begins to thicken, about 3 minutes. Do not let the sauce come to a simmer, or it may curdle. Put the orzo and carrots on plates and top with the chicken and sauce.

CHILLED AVGOLEMONO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add rice, and stir to coat. Add stock and water; bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Prepare an ice-water bath. Working in 2 batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth. (For safety, remove cap from hole in lid, and cover with a dish towel to prevent spattering.) Transfer mixture to a bowl set in ice bath; let stand for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice, dill, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; season with pepper.

ASPARAGUS AVGOLEMONO

Steps:

• In a soup pot, bring the broth to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until almost al dente, about 4 minutes for pastina and 8 minutes for orzo.
• Add the asparagus and dill and simmer until the asparagus is just tender, about 5 minutes.
• While the asparagus cooks, in a bowl, whisk the eggs and lemon juice. When the asparagus is tender, whisk a ladleful of the hot broth into the egg-lemon mixture. Lower the heat and slowly pour the egg mixture into the soup in a thin stream, stirring briskly all the while. Continue to stir until the soup is thickened somewhat and heated through, a couple of minutes. (Constant stirring and low heat prevent the eggs from curdling.) Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Variations
• Other green vegetables, such as chopped spinach, broccoli, and kale, may be substituted for the asparagus.
• For a smooth soup, purée with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender.
• Serving & menu ideas
• Peppercorn Citrus Marinated Feta (page 201) with pita, Greek Salad (page 211), and Greek Antipasto Pita (page 149) all pair well with this soup.

ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH DILL

Steps:

• Place the onion in a heavy three- quart saucepan. Stir in the oil, cover tightly and cook over low heat 10 minutes, until the onion is soft but not brown.
• Stir in the asparagus, celery and potato, cook for about a minute, then add the stock, wine and dill. Simmer, partly covered, about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are very tender.
• Allow the mixture to cool briefly, then puree in a blender or a food processor. You may have to do this in two batches. Run the soup through a sieve into a clean saucepan.
• To serve, reheat the soup and season it to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon it into six warm soup plates. Float a few sprigs of dill on each as a garnish.