CHICAGO — Monica Kass Rogers, a longtime national food writer, photographer, home cook and mother, launched a vintage recipes revival column in the Chicago Tribune that eventually became her popular food blog, Lost Recipes Found. Monica’s photography/food styling and recipe testing/development work has appeared in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, the Chicago Tribune, and more. She currently does this work for JWC Media’s luxury lifestyle magazines and newspaper.
“With my husband’s maternal grandparents Greek and Armenian, one or another deliciously lemony chicken soup was often on the table. In our own home, we’ve kept that going with this fortified version of avgolemono (Greek chicken, egg and lemon soup) that has tiny meatballs and baby spinach stirred in, Italian Wedding Soup-style. If you’ve never made avgolemono at home, you’ll be amazed at the velvety lightness — nothing like the thick, pasty versions you may have encountered in many diners. This is a classic Greek soup that’s thickened with eggs and spiked with lemon. Add some diced or shredded rotisserie chicken and call it a meal,” says Monica.
To make it, simply heat good quality chicken stock, whip egg whites to a soft peaks, stir in the yolks and lemon juice, and temper the mix with hot stock before whisking all together for a lovely pale-yellow finish,” she adds.
The tiny meatballs are a blend of beef, pork, onion, parmesan cheese and parsley, baked up in the oven while you make the soup. To complete, you’ll boil a bit of orzo, and quick-sauté fresh baby spinach. In the spring or summer, this soup is very good with a bit of sorrel instead of the spinach.
Note: You can serve this version of avgolemono without the add-ins as a first course. This soup is best served right after you make it, she says.
