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–+ servings

Greek Fish soup with avgolemono sauce (Psarosoupa)

Angeliki
A fish soup full of Goodness, traditionally made all year round and popular in all Greek households throughout the world. Made with vegetables and fillet of fish and finished in a creamy, lemony avgolemono sauce. A perfect hearty meal to serve warm on a cold wintery evening or even serve cold on a hot summer day.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course, Meat&Seafood, Soup
Cuisine Greek
Servings 8
Calories 200 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 medium carrots cut into cubes (around 1 cup)
  • 1-2 celery stalks including leaves, cut into cubes (approximately 1 cup)
  • 2 medium onions chopped (approximately 1 cup)
  • 2 medium potatoes cut into cubes (approximately 2 cups)
  • 20 g olive oil extra virgin
  • 2 lt fish stock
  • 700-800 g fish fillets of your choice cut into cubes (flaky, white flesh fish, like snapper or flathead fillets)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt (Celtic)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons tapioca or cornflour (optional)

Avgolemono sauce

  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • 2 lemons (the juice)

Instructions
 

  • Heat the olive oil in a deep, heavy-based casserole pot over medium-high heat, and add the chopped vegetables. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onions become translucent.
  • Add the stock, the fish fillets cut into cubes, salt and pepper.
  • Bring to the boil and cook uncovered on medium-high heat for 30-40min until vegetables are cooked through and soup has slightly reduced.
  • If you prefer a soup with a thicker consistency, you can thicken the sauce with tapioca or corn-flour. Mix the 2 tablespoons of tapioca flour into ½ cup of room temperature water until well combined. Add it slowly to the boiling soup while you continue string. The soup will start to thicken after a few seconds.
  • Switch off the heat, cover and leave on the side.
  • Start preparing the avgolemono sauce.
  • In a mixer or blender, blend the 2 eggs with 2 tablespoons of water for around 1 minute on high. Add the lemon juice and continue mixing for another 30sec.
  • Reduce the speed to medium-low, and using a ladle spoon, start adding liquid from the pot to the mixer in a SLOW STREAM. It is very important to pour the liquid very slowly at the start, as this will temper the egg mixture gently and prevent it from curding.
  • While still blending continue adding the stock from the pot, increasing the amount gradually as the mixture warms up and is less likely to curdle.
  • When you have added 4-5 ladles of liquid into the egg mixture, pour the avgolemono sauce straight into the pot (the pot has been removed from the heat) while stirring continuously in a circular motion for a few seconds until well combined. Soup will thicken a little, and the egg will cook through.
  • Ready to serve. Enjoy!

Notes

1. Can add half a cup of uncooked rice to this recipe, if preferred. In this case, add an extra cup of liquid to the pot in step 2. Once you bring it to the boil in step 3, add the rice and stir well until it starts boiling again. Continue with the rest of the steps.
2. Traditionally, flaky, white flesh fish, like snapper or flathead fillets, are used to make Psarosoupa but feel free to add any fish of your choice or even a mixture of different fish fillets.
3. Make your own fish stock if preferred. It is very inexpensive and easy to make. Next time you are at the fish market, buy some fish carcasses. They usually sell them with the fish head attached. To make a tasty fish stock, bring to the boil 4L of water and add 3-4 fish carcasses, a celery stalk, a whole carrot and onion. Cook for 6-8 hours on low heat. Drain and use as needed or freeze it for another time. It is full of flavour and healthier than the store-bought one.
4. Tapioca and corn flour-free option. I tend to thicken the sauce with tapioca or cornflour, but if preferred, this step can be eliminated. The avgolemono sauce will still thicken the sauce and make it creamy and velvety!
4. Egg-free option. This soup can also be served without the addition of the avgolemono sauce. It's popular throughout different parts of Greece and equally delicious, to be served plain. Add lemon juice just before serving.
5. This meal can be stored in the fridge for up to three days and served reheated gently over low heat. Do not let it come to a boil; the egg may curdle.
6. This meal is also suitable for freezing. Defrost overnight in the fridge and warm slowly over low heat.

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 21gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 373mgPotassium: 634mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 2619IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 1mg
Keyword (Psarosoupa), Greek Fish soup with avgolemono sauce
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