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Vegetarian avgolemono
This is a wonderful vegetarian recipe for a hearty, yet refreshing lemon orzo soup. It comes together quickly and makes for a flavourful dinner. Served with homemade croutons, this soup is perfect on a cold day.
SERVES
4
TO
6
Ingredients
Broth
- 1/2 large butternut squash
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 parsnips
- 2 stalks celery
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- Olive oil, to drizzle
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp (15 ml) peppercorns
- 4 parsley sprigs
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 2 sage stems
- 1 lemon, peel
- Salt, white pepper and nutmeg to season
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) cornstarch
Croutons
- Baguette, torn into 1-inch (2.5 cm) rough pieces
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Salt and pepper to season
Soup
- 4 eggs
- 1 lemon, juice (about 4 tbsp (60 ml)
- 2 cups (470 ml) cooked orzo
- 2 cups (470 ml) shimeji mushrooms, trimmed
- Olive oil and butter to sear mushrooms
- Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
- Fresh tarragon leaves
- Olive oil
- Freshed cracked pepper
Directions
For the Broth
- Preheat the oven to 400 F (205 C).
- Without peeling or removing ends (rinsing is ok if needed), roughly chop the squash, onion, parsnip, celery, and garlic.
- Toss together with a light drizzle of olive oil and spread onto a sheet pan.
- Roast in the oven for 30 minutes until just browning at the tips.
- Scrape the roasted veggies into a stockpot and cover with water (about ten cups/ two litres), then add the bay, peppercorn, parsley, thyme, sage stems, and lemon peel.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes until veggies are just soft.
- Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a fresh pot.
- Season with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg.
- Return to the heat and bring back to a simmer. You should yield about six cups (one and a half litres), if not, top up with more water or cook down to reduce, adjusting seasonings as needed.
- Before making the Soup, mix cornstarch with equal parts cold water to make a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the simmering broth and continue whisking for 30 seconds to one minute until slightly thickened.
For the Croutons
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
- Toss the baguette pieces with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet in an even layer.
- Bake for eight minutes until just starting to toast.
- Keep warm and dry until ready to serve.
For the Soup
- Heat butter and olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Pan sear the shimeji mushrooms for one to two minutes, until just starting to lose their water. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm for plating.
- When the broth is ready, whisk together the eggs and lemon juice in a medium-sized bowl, mixing until frothy.
- Temper the egg mixture with the hot broth by whisking in a few spoonfuls at a time, then a ladle or so, until the egg mixture has been warmed through and heated without scrambling.
- Working quickly, whisk the tempered egg mixture into the remaining hot broth. If executed correctly, the soup should come together with creamy yellow colour and a smooth, silky texture.
- Immediately ladle the finished soup into bowls, garnishing each bowl with orzo pasta, pan-seared shimeji mushrooms, a sprinkling of fresh tarragon, croutons, olive oil, and fresh cracked black pepper.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!
