This is a very traditional greek soup, very easy to make and very nutritious. We usually cook it in cold winter days. As you can see from the photo, it was snowing in Athens that day!

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 500 grams minced meat
• 1/2 cup round grain rice (soup rice)
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp spearmint
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 1 tbsp dill
• salt/pepper
• 3 tbsp flour

For the soup:

• 1 carrot
• 1 stick of celery (optional)
• 1 potato
• 1 zucchini (optional)
• 1/4 cup round grain rice (soup rice)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt/pepper

For the egg lemon sauce (avgolemono):

• 1 egg
• 1-2 lemons
• 1 tsp corn flour

Instructions

Prepare the meatballs:

• Chop the onion and put it in a small pot, add 1 tsp water and cook for 3 minutes. I like doing this step when i make meatballs because the onion gets softer and has a lighter taste.
• When the onion is cool, mix with the minced meat, egg, herbs, salt/pepper and rice.
• Make small round meatballs and flour them.
• Put them in the fridge while preparing the veggies.

Prepare the soup:

• Cut the potato, the carrot, the zucchini and celery in small cubes.
• Put the olive oil in a pot and saute the veggies.
• Add 1.5lt water, add the rice, season with salt/pepper and stir.
• Add the meatballs on top. Do not stir after this point.
• Cover with the lid, and simmer in low heat for 30-35 minutes.

Prepare the egg-lemon sauce as soon as the soup is ready:

• Add the corn flour in the lemon juice.
• Whisk or put in a food processor the egg.
• Add the lemon to the egg and whisk.
• Now take 2 cups of the hot broth from the pot and add to the lemon/egg mix little-by-little while constantly whisking. This way the egg whites won’t get cooked instantly and ruin your sauce.
• Remove the pot from the heat, add the egg lemon sauce and just move around your pot, do not stir.