The first time I made this was when the boys fell sick. They were getting tired of my usual sick day porridge and I wanted something with more body than a chicken soup. I saw this recipe called Avgolemono , a Greek recipe, where rice is cooked in chicken stock along with lemon juice and then thickened with eggs. The eggs give it a creamy texture. I added some Moranga leaves for the extra vitamins. You can use baby spinach if you like. I used the stock cubes , you can make your own batch of fresh stock or use the liquid stock they sell , we don't get them here so I just use stock cube. I used chicken meatballs, you can use left over roast or poach a piece of boneless chicken while cooking the stock , remove and shred it.
Recipe: Lemony Chicken And Rice Soup recipe adapted from the recipe Avgolemono from the book Rice and Risotto : cooking with the world's best loved grain by Christine Ingram.
2 cups water
1 chicken stock cube
1 tbsp lime juice
grated zest of 1 lime
1 fat clove of garlic
1/3 cup basmathi rice, washed well and then soaked in water for atleast an hour
hand ful of moranga leaves ( or baby spinach)
12 meat balls or 1/2 cup of cooked chicken shredded.
salt and pepper
Heat up the water along with the stock cube, Stir and bring to a boil and simmer. Add the meat balls or chicken pieces. Add the rice , breaking it down with your fingers when adding. Lower heat and simmer. Cook till the rice is cooked through
While the rice cooks, in a small bowl, beat the eggs, along with the lime juice and zest. season with pinch of salt and pepper.
Once the rice is cooked, add the spinach or moranga leaves. Then slowly add the egg mixture, whisking while you add , so the eggs down make a big mess. You want a creamy texture not egg drop soup. Stir for a 1 minut , remove and serve immediately.