While there’s always room for variety, most Greek soups have thinner, though not thin, broths with plenty of hearty, chunky ingredients swimming in them. There’s also a heavy reliance on legumes and veggies, and most of the soups are robust and flavorful. There aren’t a lot of mild, bland soups in Greek restaurants or homes. Greece is a country that loves flavor. Sometimes, you’ll find some type of meat in the soups, but often, there will only be spices, herbs, and veggies. Now, let’s stop talking about them and actually check some of them out!
1. Avgolemono (Greek Lemon Chicken Soup)
Avgolemono is a bit like chicken and rice, but there are a few extra vegetables in it, and there are the unmistakable additions of lemon, dill, and feta cheese. These three tangy, zesty components add a sharp, bright burst of flavor to every bite of this otherwise fairly standard soup. If you’re ever sick at home, avgolemono is the perfect “get well soon” soup – even better than chicken noodle since it’s warm, comforting, and has all that lemon juice that’s good for your throat.
2. Greek Beef Soup
This hearty soup contains large chunks of potatoes and beef, as well as chopped carrots, celery, onions, and plenty of herbs. It’s similar to American beef stew, although the broth isn’t quite as thick. It takes a little over 2 hours to make, but 99% of that time, the soup is simmering on the stove, so it’s not much work for you. It’s a filling, meat-and-potatoes kind of soup that’s ideal for warming you up on cold nights.
3. Greek Bean Soup (Fasolada)
If you enjoy soups that are filled to the brim with ingredients, you’ll love fasolada. One glance at this 15-ingredient recipe quickly lets you know that this soup has a lot going on inside that bowl. Luckily, all the ingredients are either easy-to-find veggies, herbs and spices, or everyday pantry staples. Even so, they all combine to make one scrumptious soup. In addition to the herbs and spices, the soup also includes crunchy onions and celery, protein- and fiber-rich cannellini beans, fresh parsley, and flavorful broth. It has a unique earthy, garlic-y flavor that’ll hook you after your first bite.
4. Fakes (Greek Lentil Soup)
Fakes (pronounced FAH-kess), not to be confused with fakes (rhymes with cakes), is Greece’s version of lentil soup, and it’s a little different from most lentil soups you’ve probably tried. For one thing, it’s almost exclusively lentils. There are some chopped onions and garlic and a couple of bay leaves floating in it, but other than that, tomato paste, and some seasoning and cooking ingredients, lentils are what you get. That doesn’t mean this dish is bland, though. Far from it, in fact! Not only do the garlic and onions add to the soup flavor, but you’ll also add some red wine vinegar when it’s finished cooking. That gives it this indescribable taste that is just phenomenal. It tastes so good that even kids love it.
5. Patsas
If you can get past the words “beef tripe” and “cow feet” in the recipe, patsas is a genuinely delectable soup. It has a tremendously rich, salty, and savory taste with notes of oregano, garlic, and rosemary. There are also vibrant bursts of citrusy, zesty flavors from the lemons and vinegar. Best of all, most of the work happens in a pressure cooker, meaning you won’t have to do much to make this soup taste amazing.
6. Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia)
Revithia, or Greek chickpea soup, is one of the thicker, creamier Greek soups. It’s also tasty and simple to cook, making it one of the most popular winter soups in all of Greece. Furthermore, it’s a great source of fiber and natural antioxidants, which makes it even more appealing to most people. The chickpeas are tender and mild in flavor, but the onions, bay leaf, oregano, lemon juice, salt, and pepper more than make up for that mildness. If you’re looking for something comforting to come home to, revithia fits the bill. It smells amazing while cooking, too.
7. Manestra (Greek Tomato Orzo Soup)
It’s hard to beat simple, delicious tomato soup. Of course, adding orzo, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, and feta cheese to it might do the trick. This soup is pure, rich, tomato-filled goodness, and all the additional herbs and spices add to that and don’t overwhelm it. Make yourself a bowl of this with a gooey, buttery grilled cheese sandwich. Trust me; you’ll be glad you did.
8. Greek Onion Soup
Greek onion soup is warm, flavorful, and aromatic, and once you throw a few crunchy croutons and some creamy feta cheese on top, you’ll have a meal you won’t soon forget. If you enjoy French onion soup, French onion dip, caramelized onion dip, or just plain old onions, you’ll find a lot to love about this simple soup.
9. Greek Potato Stew
When the Greeks make potato stew, they do not mess around! The ingredients list for this soup may be short and straightforward, but the stew itself is anything but plain. The potato chunks in it are massive! The recipe instructs you to cut them in 2.5 cm chunks, and that’s a whole lot of potato. Once the soup is finished, your bowl will almost look like it’s overflowing with tasty, tantalizing taters. The onions, garlic, tomato paste, tomatoes, parsley, olive oil, salt, and pepper simply add to the soup’s yumminess. This hearty soup could fill up a lumberjack; no salad, bread, or beef required.
10. Greek Vegetable Stew
Greek vegetable stew is vegan-friendly and gluten- and dairy-free. It’s also unlike American vegetable soup. It’s much chunkier and less soupy, for one thing. You’ll see a bit of tomato juice-like broth in the bottom of this stew, but you’ll only catch brief glimpses of it between the multitude of chunky veggies. In addition to the standard vegetables like onions, tomatoes, and potatoes, this stew also features zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, and fresh parsley and tomatoes. There’s also a ton of herbs and seasonings for even more garden-fresh flavor. If you claim to love vegetables and don’t go absolutely crazy over this stew, you’re lying about that veggie love. Click on a star to rate it!
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