Category: Greek Soups

Spinach and rice soup (Σούπα με σπανάκι και ρύζι)

~ miakouppa ~ 4 Comments
Spinach and rice soup

A simple soup with the familiar flavours of spanakopita.

This is a recipe that most of you will be able to make right now. Like seriously, check out the ingredients and then take a peak in your pantry and fridge. If you like to cook, or even if you only like to eat, chances are very, very good that you have everything you’ll need to make our spinach and rice soup.

This soup is inspired by a few things that we love. Obviously, we love soups – but more than that we love being able to feed our families with meals that are quick, simple, and inexpensive without sacrificing nutrition and flavour. And speaking of flavour, this soup was inspired by a few of our favourite recipes; the building blocks are similar to what you would find in spanakopita (yum!) and spanakorizo (yum again!).

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Fish Soup (Ψαρόσουπα)

~ miakouppa ~ 4 Comments
Fish Soup

A classic Greek fish soup made with cod, vegetables and flavoured with lemon

This is one of those recipes that just sounds more appetizing in Greek. Perhaps there is a better translation that we could have come up with, maybe cod and root vegetable bouillabaisse, or seafood chowder with a hint of lemon, but ultimately we decided on the rather unappetizing name of fish soup; this is the literal translation of psarosoupa (Ψαρόσουπα) and we tend to be purists…some of the time. Our tsoureki and feta grilled cheese, our spanakopatata and our Greek-style Cobb salad showcase our freewheeling, wild side…but we digress.

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Spinach and potato stew (Σπανάκι με πατάτες)

~ miakouppa ~ 14 Comments
Spinach and potato stew

A hearty vegan stew made with potatoes and greens in a tomato based sauce

This spinach and potato stew, also called Bonamatsi (Μποναμάτσι), is a dish common in the northern part of Greece, and not necessarily where our parents are from. Still, this was a meal that we would occasionally have growing up, particularly on fasting days. In fact, it was most often served in the days before Christmas, probably because a bowl of bonamatsi was filling and warming, perfect for December in Canada. Holiday fasting periods aside, this was also a dish often made on Fridays, competing with the other staple vegan (and lenten) meal, fakes. We now understand that by the time Friday rolled around our parents were relying on simple and straightforward meals to end the work week with.

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Artichokes and peas in an egg-lemon sauce (Αγκινάρες με αρακά αυγολέμονο)

~ miakouppa ~ 3 Comments
Artichokes and peas in an egg-lemon sauce

A stew of artichokes, peas and potatoes in a rich and tangy egg lemon broth

This recipe is pretty intense. Not in preparation; you’ll see that it’s no more difficult than many of the other recipes we’ve posted. No…it’s intense in the feelings and thoughts it elicits. Some good; this dish is delicious and today we love to eat it. But some, less good; when we were kids we thought it looked and tasted like throw up, and cried when it was for dinner.

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Fide soup (Fithe soup) (Σούπα φιδέ)

~ miakouppa ~ 13 Comments
Fide soup

A simple pasta soup made with thin noodles and flavoured with a touch of olive oil

Growing up Greek, our chicken noodle soup was called fide. To be honest, it was a little different than your traditional chicken noodle soup; for one thing, it had no chicken. It also had no chicken broth, no vegetables and no herbs. In fact, fide (also spelled fithe) is nothing more than a noodle soup, cooked in water, flavoured with olive oil, sometimes sprinkled with a bit of mizithra, and ready to comfort every bit of your soul.

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Potatoes yahni (Πατάτες γιαχνί )

~ miakouppa ~ 18 Comments

Potatoes yahni

A traditional Greek potato stew

Potatoes yahni

 

Raise your hand if you love pototoes! You there, in the back, holding a fist-full of french fries, we see you!  And we love you!  And, we too love potatoes.  Whether they are roasted in the oven, bathed in all sorts of beautiful Greek flavours, or boiled and mashed and then transformed into the very distinctive Greek garlic spread called skordalia, we adore them.  Potatoes are so versatile, so available, so economical, that it’s no wonder that the rustic cuisine of Greece has taken this commonplace vegetable and made it the star of a stew which we know will find a happy place in your hearts and stomachs.

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Yiouverlakia avgolemono and tomato (Γιουβαρλάκια αυγολέμονο με ντομάτα)

~ miakouppa ~ 14 Comments

Yiouverlakia avgolemono and tomato (Γιουβαρλάκια αυγολέμονο με ντομάτα)

Yiouverlakia avgolemono and tomato (Γιουβαρλάκια αυγολέμονο με ντομάτα)

We don’t know about you, but we’re supposed to be having spring like weather here in Canada.  It seems that someone didn’t get the message.  In the span of a few hours this afternoon we experienced a tiny bit of sun, snow, hail and rain.  What ever happened to April showers bringing May flowers?  Hail is not showers!

Since we can’t control the weather (we have tried, promise!), we can at least control how we live with it.  Our winter coats are still accessible, as are our boots and hats.  We’ve kept the salt out for de-icing the driveway and our beds are still incredible cozy with our woollen blankets and duvets.  And in the kitchen, we’ve been leaning towards winter weather food, comforting for body and soul…like this deliciously soothing yiouverlakia soup flavoured with avgolemono and tomato.  Bring it on April…we can take you! Actually, we’re just kidding…we can hardly take this anymore!  We are dreaming of spring, and salads!

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Yiouvarlakia with avgolemono (Γιουβαρλάκια αβγολέμονο)

~ miakouppa ~ 11 Comments
Yiouvarlakia with avgolemono (Γιουβαρλάκια αβγολέμονο)

Meatballs with rice served in an egg lemon (avgolemono) sauce.

A few months ago, while we were scrolling through Pinterest, we came across recipes for porcupine meatballs.  Intrigued, and slightly horrified, we investigated and were pleased to discover that these are not made of porcupine meat.  In fact, porcupine meatballs are just regular meatballs with rice added to the mix; because the rice kind of pokes out of the cooked meatballs, they appear prickly, like porcupines.  Cute.  We grew up with something kind of similar, although the Greek version doesn’t have such a silly name; in Greek households they are called yiouvarlakia.

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Rabbit stew (Κουνέλι στιφάδο)

~ miakouppa ~ 5 Comments

Rabbit stew (Κουνέλι στιφάδο)

Rabbit stew (Κουνέλι στιφάδο)

Let’s get one thing straight, right off the bat.  We know we will never convince those of who object to eating cute animals that this is a recipe you should try.  If this is you, no need to read further.  And we get it.  Rabbit is not the most popular of meats; in fact, most members of our family refuse to even try it.  However, if you are interested, or curious, about learning how to create a delicious, and very traditional Greek meal using rabbit meat…you’ve come to the right place.

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Trahana and feta (Τραχανάς σούπα με φέτα)

~ miakouppa ~ 6 Comments

Trahana and feta (Τραχανάς σούπα με φέτα)

Trahana and feta (Τραχανάς σούπα με φέτα)

Some days we wish we could serve our families cold cereal for supper…maybe with a banana and spoonfuls of peanut butter on the side, to have the whole thing feel more balanced.  Ugh…who are we kidding! Frankly, some days, this is exactly what we do, and we refuse to be ashamed!  We will not deny it!  Unless our mother calls, in which case we will tell her that we are having roasted chicken and potatoes, or makaronia with kima .

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