National Soup Month: Avgoleomono

Celebrate National Soup Month with Avgoleomono (Greek Chicken Soup) from Zaytinya.

Serves 6

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups cooked shredded chicken

Cooked kale from above

½ cup orzo pasta, cooked

Soup base from above

6 soft poached eggs, from above

1 lemon, for zest

Olive oil to taste

Coarse sea salt to taste

In a skillet over medium heat, heat the chicken, kale, and pasta in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Evenly divide the hot soup base into 6 bowls.

Crack open and add a warm soft poached egg to each bowl.

Zest a little bit of the lemon over each bowl which allows the oil in the peel to fall into the bowl.

Season the egg with coarse sea salt and drizzle with olive oil.

To prepare cooked kale:

1 bunch kale, washed well

Strip the kale leaves from the stem and chop them into 1-inch wide strips

Fill a large stockpot with water, place over high heat and bring to boil.

Add 1 tablespoon of salt and allow the water to return to a boil.

Add the kale leaves to the boiling water and cook them for 3 minutes.

Remove the kale from the boiling water and dunk them in a bowl of ice water for 3 minutes to stop the cooking.

Remove the kale from the ice water.

Squeeze the kale to remove excess water, then spin in salad spinner to dry.

Set aside.

To make the soft poached eggs:

In a small saucepan, bring 1 quart of water to a boil.

Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the eggs and simmer over moderately high heat for 5 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water and let stand for 3 to 4 minutes.

Keep the pan of hot water on the stove over low heat.

When ready to use the eggs, drop them back in the warm water for 30 seconds.

To make the soup base:

3 cups chicken stock

1 whole egg

3 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Sea salt and white pepper to taste

1. In a saucepot over medium heat, heat the chicken stock to just below the boil. You should see whisps of steam coming off the top.

2. In a metal bowl, whisk together the egg, lemon juice and cornstarch until smooth.

3. Slowly ladle the hot stock into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. The result should be a creamy, rich broth.