This Is A Bean Story That Became So Much More…

Here’s how this culinary journey began. My wife Alex came across a recipe for soup – but not just any soup. She found one with a very unique aspect to the recipe, and what I made became her favorite soup of all time!

Now to the next part of this culinary odyssey: it all started yesterday when I dropped this teaser trailer on Instagram:

Then, I got a very happy surprise from my friend Mara, who goes by Marapapamasterfoodie, who saw the video and sent me this note:

😂😋😍yum! I look forward to it. And did you know January is National Soup Month?! Just sharing a fun food fact- it’s what I love to do😋🫶

And I am so glad she does, because that’s how I found out that it’s National Soup Month!

And our friend Olivia then sent a note calling it out as the greek soup called Avgolemono! Bravo Olivia!

The next part of this came together because our great friends Nicole and Bill had sent us some Rancho Gordo beans, and white beans were part of the recipe!

Well, this was the motherlode for great dishes to come! And then Alex saw this on her Instagram page:

Alex follows “kalememaybe” on Instagram and sent it to me – and based on how terrific this turned out, I followed her as well – and you should too!

As she noted on her Instagram page:

“This recipe is a spin on Greek Avgolemono soup, but the vegetarian version made with white beans! The key to the creaminess is actually not cream — it’s eggs whisked together with lemon and broth, which adds a beautiful thickness and brightness to the soup.”

Yes, the egg and lemon mixture is a revelation! Let’s get cooking: first, I prepped the beans by washing them and then bringing to a boil and simmer:

The original recipe didn’t have Chicken in it, but we added some: I just pan fried some boneless, skinless chicken thighs and then set them aside to shred later:

With those done, here is the rest of the original recipe:

2 tbsp olive oil
½ large (or 1 small) yellow onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 cups vegetable broth – I used chicken broth
1 cup white rice
Juice of 3 lemons
3 eggs
2 (15.5 oz) cans white beans, rinsed and drained – note: I used the Rancho Gordos!
⅓ cup roughly chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped dill
To top: sour cream & green onions if desired!

Bonus: 1 Leek diced and 2 cups swiss chard

I added two more items to the recipe, on Alex’s suggestion: we added chopped swiss chard at the very end! Let’s get started:

Add the olive oil to a large pot or Dutch oven on medium heat. Add the onion, celery, leeks and carrots, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 7-8 minutes until veggies have softened, stirring occasionally. 

While the rice is cooking, whisk together eggs and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Add a ladle full of broth and whisk together while you pour to temper the eggs.

Here’s how that went:

Then, I added in the white beans, and dished it up, adding the parsley and dill, along with a fresh squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil.

Here’s how it all came together:

Oh and where is the chicken? We actually shredded it and added it to after plating the dish! So you can have it with chicken or not!

Alex Loved The “Avgolemono!”

Yes, this is her favorite soup I’ve made, and I understand why!

Avgolemono is a classic Greek soup and sauce made from eggs, lemon juice, and broth, giving it a creamy, tangy flavor without dairy. The name comes from the Greek words for egg (avgo) and lemon (lemono). It’s often made with chicken and rice or orzo!

First, the tart lemon and creaminess of the egg make it velvety with no dairy – and the white beans offer a subtle creaminess as well…and the swiss chard makes it even healthier!

We loved the chicken in it as well, but you don’t need it…this is one I will return to a lot in the future – we loved it and it’s very healthy as well!

I’ve been on a healthy soup kick of late, beginning with the “good luck Hoppin’ John” soup I made on New Years Day:

You can see the recipe here:

And if you want a “longevity soup”, I’ve got one for you – thanks once again to the Greeks!

Click here to see why the Greeks live longer!

I have also started to use more fresh peas in recipes, like this one:

Here is a recipe for a very healthy fresh pea soup!

And if you love chili but want to watch the calories, I’ve got you covered as well:

This recipe is packed with flavor but not calories – see it here:

If you enjoy these posts, why not subscribe and never miss out? It’s easy, and there are NO ads of any kind, just stuff I like!

“Bite! Eat! Repeat!” is your site for all things food – from these step-by-step cooking directions for 52 dishes from around the world to fun stuff that is designed to make food even more fun!

If you like what you see, please click on my link and follow this blog as well!

https://biteeatrepeat.com

If you like the story, share it with friends on social media! Thanks!

Categories: Bite Eat Swallow, Bite! Eat! Repeat!, Cookbooks, Eat This!, Food, Food Travel, Food Writing, Recipes, Travel, Wacky Food

Tags: Avgolemono soup, Avgolemono soup recipe, Avgolemono unique greek soup, best pea soup recipes, best squid recipes, best squid stew recipes, bite eat repeat website, Bite! Eat! Repeat!, bite! eat! repeat! food stories, Bite!Eat!Repeat! webiste, biteeatrepeat, cooking, dinner, eating healthy pea soup, egg and lemon soup, egg lemon and white bean soup, food, food memoirs, food review, food reviews, food travel, fresh pea soup, fresh pea soup recipe, Greece, greek longevity stew, greek recipes, healthy greek food recipes, healthy soups, healthy stew recipes, longevity foods, longevity stew from greece, national soup month, pass out for good healthy recipe, pea soup recipe, provencal lamb, recipe, recipes, restaurants, santorini, soup, travel adventures, Travel Memoir, unique recipes