Avgolemono Soup [Rhonda]

Degree of difficulty: very easy...this is the cheater's version. Apologies to Mike's dad

Time: 17 minutes

Serves: 4

Long day? Exhausted? Open a big can of chicken stock and get it on the stove. While it's coming to a boil, go change into your sweats.

Better already, right? Now dump the rice into the stock, and while it's cooking, prep the lemon and egg. Throw some salad into a bowl and make a big Greek salad--recipe for it is posted on the blog. Heat up some crusty bread if you have it, and dinner's ready, comfort food that's nourishing and a smooth ending to a rough day.

Although I never had Mike's dad's version, I'm sure it was wonderful with him coming from Cyprus, made the long way with a whole chicken and carrots, celery and onion flavoring the broth. Avgolemono is a staple on Greek menus, also served, minus the chicken stock and with a little cornstarch, as a sauce for fish.

Avgolemono Soup
Ingredients:
1 large can chicken broth (49 1/2 ounces)
1 or 2 eggs
2 lemons
1 cup of white rice
Salt and pepper to taste



Heat the chicken broth to a boil, add rice. Cook for approximately 17 minutes, or until rice is done. While that's cooking, beat the egg(s) in a small mixing bowl, add in the juice of 1 1/2 lemons (then you can add the rest after you taste the finished product if you want).

When rice is done, take a ladle of the hot soup and whisk into the egg mixture. Add a second ladle of soup, whisking constantly. Tempering the egg keeps it from scrambling once you add it over into the pot of soup. OK. Now add it in, stir.

Suggested soundtrack: Franz Schubert's "Four Impromptus, No. 3"