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Magiritsa (Greek Easter Soup)

Magiritsa (Greek Easter Soup)

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Magiritsa (pr. mah-ghee-RHEE-tsah), is a traditional Greek Easter offal soup which is the first thing served after the midnight mass on Saturday evening.

Magiritsa soup image

After the fasting period, which may be from a few days or up to forty eight days (and not forty as many think), this soup apart from delicious, is light and good for the stomach.

Magiritsa is made with some finely chopped baby lamb intestines as well as the lamb offal, finely chopped, lettuce coarsely chopped and blanched, dill and spices which are cooked until the offal are soft and then an avgolemono sauce is added, to thicken the soup.

collage Magiritsa picture

I’ve seen recipes adding rice to this soup but traditional magiritsa does not have rice in it.

If you do not like offal, you can substitute them with oyster (pleurotus) mushrooms which have a meaty texture.

Magiritsa image

In some parts of Greece they make magiritsa either by adding tomato or by adding rice.

Magiritsa picture

In our family we use neither rice or tomato, although in Sparta where we usually go for Easter they do use tomato in the sauce.

If you don’t like liver, you can substitute it with pleurotus (oyster) mushrooms.

This is the time when we also crack our Easter eggs and say “Christos Anesti” (Christ has risen from the dead).

Dyed Easter red eggs with flowers image

We dye them red symbolizing the blood of Jesus and we crack them to remember the cracking of the stones when the earth opened and stones cracked during His resurrection.

Dyed Easter red eggs image
Magiritsa

Magiritsa

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Magiritsa is the Greek soup, made from lamb offal, lettuce and avgolemono sauce and the first meal served after the 40 days fasting of Lent.

Ingredients

  • 1 lamb liver, including lungs and sweetbreads etc.
  • ½ kilo lamb bowels
  • 3 - 4 lettuces, depending on size, coarsely cut
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 small red onion, finely chopped
  • 4 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 cup finely chopped dill
  • 1 cup finely chopped parsley
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 egg yolks
  • ½ cup of lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp corn flour (optional)

Instructions

  1. Wash the lettuce as well as the herbs.
  2. Cut the lettuce in big pieces and boil for ten minutes and then strain them, adding some cold water.
  3. Wash the offal and the bowels. Boil the liver, lungs, sweetbreads for ten minutes and after straining cut them in very small pieces (not bigger than 2 cm).
  4. In a pot sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for a few seconds until fragrant.
  5. Add the liver and bowels and sauté as well.
  6. Add the lettuce, salt, pepper and water to cover and simmer for about 30 - 40 minutes.
  7. Add the herbs and cook for five more minutes.
  8. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes.
  9. Prepare the avgolemono sauce (egg and lemon sauce).

Avgolemono sauce

  1. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and add the lemon juice. While beating, add the corn flour and mix until it dissolves  Take a ladle of stock from your pot and slowly add it to your egg and lemon mixture while whisking.
  2. Add avgolemono into your pot and mix.
  3. Leave it to rest for 10 minutes and then serve.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 514Total Fat 40gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 26gCholesterol 294mgSodium 177mgCarbohydrates 6gFiber 2gSugar 2gProtein 32g

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Kalo Pascha (Happy Easter)

Collage Magiritsa soup image

Kopiaste and Kali Orexi,

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MARIA V

Sunday 17th of February 2008

Hi again!!!!!i have ADSL, I am not sure what the problem is with the page. Maybe I have too many photos??

Ivy

Sunday 17th of February 2008

Maria, I don't think it's the photos because I have a lot as well. May be it's the videos because I had the same problems when I had some slide shows on my main page.

Cakelaw

Sunday 17th of February 2008

Hi Ivy, your soup is very different than what we are used to. I don't think I would be brave to eat it.

Núria

Sunday 17th of February 2008

Wow Ivy, a very unusual soup. I wish I could try it!

Ivy

Sunday 17th of February 2008

I am looking forward to seeing your view. Have you checked out Val's. It's terrific.

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