Hello friends,
Have you ever heard of Greek Meatball Soup, also known as Giouvarlakia? If not, let me let you in on a little secret: it is one of those comforting dishes that has that little Greek magic touch.
Giouvarlakia is a classic dish in Greek homes, especially when the weather gets cooler and we’re looking for a bowl of comfort food. Of course, Greeks don’t really need an excuse to enjoy a good homemade meal. We can have a beautifully sunny day outside and still find a reason to cook something delicious! hahhahahaahha. If you decide to add avgolemono, that lovely combo of egg and lemon juice gives the soup a silky texture. It’s one of those little Greek cooking tricks that makes you wonder how something so simple can taste so good.
The meatballs are the heart of this recipe. Made with ground beef, rice, onion, and a few other ingredients. Some families add their own special ingredients because, as we all know, every Greek household has its own version of a traditional recipe. You could ask five Greek cooks how they make giouvarlakia and end up with five slightly different recipes. And of course, they’ll tell you that theirs is the best. 🙂 I’m not getting involved in that discussion! That goes for most Greek recipes. Let’s talk a bit about how the rice cooks right inside the meatballs, giving the meatballs their characteristic soft texture. As they simmer gently in the broth, they absorb all those lovely flavors. The secret is not to rush them; be patient.
And here’s a little piece of advice from my kitchen: make enough so that you have leftovers if you can. Soups like this are wonderful the next day, and although the rice may absorb more broth as it sits, you might need to add a little water and broth when reheating. I also added leftover #wishbone vegetable broth 🙂
You know, sometimes we get caught up trying new recipes. Buying ingredients we’ve never heard of and searching for the next big thing to cook. But every now and then, it’s lovely to return to the traditional recipes that have been part of Greek kitchens for generations.
Wishing everyone a wonderful morning/afternoon/evening!! 🙂
Greek Meatball Soup (Giouvarlakia)
Ingredients
- 500 / 1lb grams ground beef
- 1 carrot peeled and grated
- 1 red onion grated
- 1 egg large
- ½ cup arborio rice
- ¼ cup fresh dill finely chopped
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- 5 cups Wishbone vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- Soup ingredients
- 1 carrot chopped into cubes
- 1 potato chopped into cubes
- 2 eggs whites - yolks
- 1 lemon squeeze out the juice
- 1 tbsp corn flour
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the 500 / 1lb grams ground beef, 1 egg, ½ cup arborio rice, the grated 1 red onion and the grated 1 carrot, ¼ cup fresh dill, and the ⅓ cup fresh parsley. Knead the mixture and shape the meat into small walnut-sized balls.
- Season with plenty of pepper and not too much salt.
- In a large pot, pour in the ¼ cup olive oil and sauté the 1 carrot that was cut into cubes and the 1 potato. Stir gently
- Pour in the 5 cups Wishbone vegetable broth and the 2 cups water. Place all the meatballs into the pot. Let them cook for 35 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
- In a bowl, dissolve the 1 tbsp corn flour with the 1 lemon juice and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the egg whites. Whisk until the egg whites turn into a meringue.
- Slowly add the egg yolks and continue whisking. Pour in the mixture of corn flour and lemon juice and continue whisking. When the meatballs have cooked, take a ladle or two of soup and add to the lemon mix to temper it.
- Slowly pour in the avgolemono (egg sauce)
- Close the lid and leave for 5 minutes before serving.
KALI SAS OREXI!! 🙂
