Soup, chicken soup

Greek chicken soup @eatyourselfgreek

Summer jumped into winter with abrupt gusts of wind that made us wonder in awe, where did summer go? From T-shirt Monday to Wellies Friday there was an interlude of insane winds, half of the items in Athens that could get airborne, they did. Medicane they said, like hurricane only in the Mediterranean. Soup I said, chicken soup, comfort food, the Greek way.

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Butternut squash soup

A lavish vegetable soup

butternut squash soup @eatyourselfgreek

Winter soups tend to give me this fuzzy feeling, similar to the one you get from gazing at the lights of a Christmas tree. No matter how tasty a soup can be though, I could never consider it a main dish. Soups for me always falls under starters or under the light meal league. Given that Christmas is just 5 sleeps away now, here is a butternut squash soup to warm you up on joyful dinners for the festive days ahead.

Head straight to the recipe.

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Fish soup, kakavia

the best of the Med

kakavia - eat yourself greek

Greece being a sea-faring nation, fish and sea-food comes often in the cooking spotlight. We have a fish soup called kakavia. Traditionally, kakavia was prepared by fishermen on the boat. Once they were done fishing, a meal would be prepared with whatever they had at hand: an onion, a potato and the humblest of their catch, keeping the best for the market. Kakavia is more of a concept than a recipe. In line with the Greek cooking practices, you have very few but very fresh ingredients and you make an extraordinary meal almost out of nothing.

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Chickpeas and onion, the two ingredients soup

Remember the challenges for the food blog awards? We were set a couple of tasks to work on, themes to draw inspiration from, that will roll out from now until the 14th of December, the closure of the competition. For my category, Best Greek Cooking in English, we will be tackling austerity: can you be frugal and eat well? It could not be more apt a subject, especially for Greece where belt-tightening has become second nature. I will be working with humble ingredients to create nutritious dishes, rich in flavour. My mind is running from the cocina povera concept to austerity living and 100% traditional Greek recipes. Thus, my first one is a super traditional, two ingredients soup: chickpeas & onion – revithosoupa. Austerity and wholesomeness served on a plate.  Continue reading Facebooktwitterpinterestinstagramby feather

Lentil soup, winter warmers

traditional Greek lentil soup

For simple pleasures on a cold day, what could be better than soup! Especially with something earthy and heart-warming like lentils. Traditional Greek soups are light, brothy affairs. They are very simple, combining only a couple of ingredients and often putting pulses in the spotlight. As a kid, I always thought of soups as a cold remedy. Well after spending a few years in the cold and wet of London, I now know a little better and definitely enjoy a comforting bowl of lentils with a touch of vinegar.

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National day, national food: fasolatha, the Greek beans soup

fasolatha, Greek bean soup

Here in Greece the 28th of October commemorates WWII. Surprisingly enough this date marks the beginning of the war, when a loud NO met the Italian ultimatum of surrender, rather than its end. Sentiment against the occupation was so strong the day was commemorated even during the war years. Nowadays, it is celebrated with a military march in Thessaloniki and many unofficial school parades.  It’s a celebration and a reminder of bad times never to return and the hope that no one will have to face the hardship of war. Continue reading

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