2 cups finely chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons olive oil
21/2 cups finely chopped broccoli florets
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill (1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups vegetable stock, or 1 bouillon cube dissolved in 4 cups water
≈
2 large eggs
1/4–1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup cooked orzo or rice
≈
chopped fresh parsley (optional)
In a soup pot, sauté the onions and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the broccoli, bell pepper, dill, salt, and black pepper, and sauté for several minutes, until the broccoli turns bright green. Add 3 cups of the stock and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender. Remove the soup from the heat.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1/4 cup of the lemon juice. Whisk in the remaining cup of stock, and then add about a cup of the hot soup broth. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the soup pot while stirring the soup. Stir in the orzo or rice. Gently reheat the soup, but don’t let it boil or it might curdle. Add more salt and lemon juice to taste.
Broccoli Egg-Lemon Soup can be served immediately, but it tastes even better gently reheated after sitting awhile. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
PER 8-OZ SERVING: 149 CALORIES, 4.8 G PROTEIN, 6 G FAT, 20.1 G CARBOHYDRATE, 184 MG SODIUM, 53 MG CHOLESTEROL.
TOTAL TIME
35 minutes
SERVINGS
4
MENU
Serve with Easiest Artichokes (see page 77) and pita or another crusty bread for a complete meal.
An inspired variation on the traditional Greek soup avgolemono. If you have no leftover rice or orzo, begin to cook some when you start the soup. Orzo or white rice will cook in about 20 minutes, brown rice in about 45 minutes.