Fennel Avgolemono Soup Recipes

AVGOLEMONO SOUP

Steps:

• Place chicken, chopped onion, celery, carrot, bay leaves, and oregano in a large pot. Pour water over the top; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, skimming foam as necessary, until chicken is falling off the bone, 60 to 90 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Transfer chicken to a bowl to cool, strain all vegetables from simmering broth, discard vegetables, and return broth to the pot. Chop cooked chicken meat.
• Combine 2 cups diced onion, olive oil, and a pinch of salt in a large skillet. Cook and stir onion mixture over medium heat until onion is soft, sweet, and golden, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Stir onion mixture into chicken broth in the pot and set over medium-low heat; add Arborio rice and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is very tender and broth flavors combine, about 45 minutes.
• Whisk eggs, cayenne pepper, and black pepper together in a bowl; whisk in lemon juice. Slowly pour 1 cup broth mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Add 1 more cup of broth to egg mixture and whisk. Pour egg mixture into broth in the pot, add chopped chicken, and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes more.

FENNEL AVGOLEMONO SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onion and all but 1 cup of the sliced fennel, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer the soup until the fennel is very tender, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt the butter in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the remaining sliced fennel and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is tender and lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Keep warm.
• Transfer the soup to a blender; puree in 2 batches until smooth. Wipe out the saucepan.
• In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the lemon juice. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle 2 cups of the hot soup into the eggs. Return all of the soup to the saucepan and stir over moderately low heat just until thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with the caramelized fennel and chopped fennel fronds and serve.

FENNEL AVGOLEMONO SOUP

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan cook the julienned fennel and the shallots in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring occassionally, for 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer the mixture, covered for 15 minutes or until the fennel is just tender but not soft, and remove the pan from the heat.
• In a heatproof bowl whisk together the lemon juice and the yolks. Whisk 1 cup of the soup liquid, a little at a time, into the yolk mixture. Add yolk mixture to the soup, whisking.
• Return soup to the stove and reheat over low heat, stirring constantly.
• Stir in the minced fennel leaves just prior to serving.

AVGOLEMONO

Steps:

• Place the chicken, bay leaf and broth in a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer 1 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and let it cool.
• Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Clean out any scum in the bottom of the pot and add the broth back to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then add the orzo and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Check for seasoning here, as you may need to add a few teaspoons salt.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon zest and juice and the flour. Whisk the eggs into the lemon mixture. Pour a little of the simmering broth slowly over the egg mixture and whisk it together. Reduce the heat under the broth to low and whisk in the egg mixture. The soup will thicken slightly and become cloudy. Make sure you don't bring the soup to a rolling boil after you add the eggs. Your eggs will scramble, which will leave you with more of an egg drop soup (which would still be fantastic, but just not the same).
• Chop up the chicken, removing the skin and bones, and add it to the soup along with the dill. Serve immediately.

FENNEL SOUP GRATIN

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the fennel, onions, and thyme and saute for 20 to 25 minutes, until the onions and fennel are very tender and caramelized. (You can add a little water if it starts to stick.) Deglaze the pan by adding the brandy; reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the sherry and white wine and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, salt, and pepper and continue to cook, uncovered, for another 15 minutes. Add the Pernod and cook for 5 more minutes. Check for salt and pepper.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Ladle the soup into 6 to 8 ovenproof bowls and place 1 or 2 slices of French bread and a handful of Gruyère cheese on top of each bowl. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and slide them under the broiler for 3 minutes, or until the cheese is brown and bubbly, and serve.

CHILLED AVGOLEMONO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add rice, and stir to coat. Add stock and water; bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Prepare an ice-water bath. Working in 2 batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth. (For safety, remove cap from hole in lid, and cover with a dish towel to prevent spattering.) Transfer mixture to a bowl set in ice bath; let stand for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice, dill, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; season with pepper.