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.
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.
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.
In some parts of Greece they make magiritsa either by adding tomato or by adding rice.
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).
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.
Magiritsa
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
- Wash the lettuce as well as the herbs.
- Cut the lettuce in big pieces and boil for ten minutes and then strain them, adding some cold water.
- 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).
- In a pot sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for a few seconds until fragrant.
- Add the liver and bowels and sauté as well.
- Add the lettuce, salt, pepper and water to cover and simmer for about 30 - 40 minutes.
- Add the herbs and cook for five more minutes.
- Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Prepare the avgolemono sauce (egg and lemon sauce).
Avgolemono sauce
- 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.
- Add avgolemono into your pot and mix.
- Leave it to rest for 10 minutes and then serve.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 514Total Fat 40gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 26gCholesterol 294mgSodium 177mgCarbohydrates 6gFiber 2gSugar 2gProtein 32g
Greek Easter Recipes and more
Here are some of my Easter Recipes and a few ideas of what to do with your leftovers. I have also included some cakes for those celebrating.
Easter Whole Lamb Roasted on the Spit and Cypriot Souvla
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Delicious Greek Stuffed Goat (or Lamb)
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Magiritsa
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.
Kokoretsi
Kokoretsi is a traditional Greek dish made mainly, but not only, during Easter, consisting mainly of seasoned pieces of lamb or goat offal (sweetbread, hearts, lungs, or kidneys), skewered on a spit and wrapped with lamb or goat caul fat and intestines and grilled together with the lamb.
Psito (Roasted Lamb or Goat meat)
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Goat or Lamb liver with whiskey and herbsÂ
It is not usual here in Greece when buying baby goat or lamb you have to buy the organs and sometimes the head, as well.Â
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Tourkakia (grilled offal)
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Bogana (Greek Roasted Leg of Lamb with Tomatoes)
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Greek Keftedes (Meat Balls)
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Flaounes (Cypriot Easter Cheese filled Bread)
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Salads and Appetizers
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Dakos Salad
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Taramosalata
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Tyrokafteri
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Melitzanosalata or Eggplant salad
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Crispy Phyllo Wrapped Feta
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Tyropitari
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Greek-style Feta and Graviera Quiche with Bacon
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Tyropitakia (Cheese Triangles with Feta)
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Easter Leftovers
A few ideas to make with your Easter Leftovers
Classic Deviled Eggs
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Spring Lettuce and Egg Salad
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Greek Potato Salad with Mayonnaise
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Arniopita (Greek Lamb Pie)
Arniopita is a Greek Lamb Pie I made with yeasted dough, filled with leftover roasted lamb with potatoes, corn and thickened with a bechamel sauce.
Lamb Exohiko
Lamb Exohiko (country style) is a dish which comes from Roumeli, usually made using leftover lamb, vegetables and cheese, wrapped in a parcel and baked. It can be wrapped in parchment paper or phyllo.
Deconstructed and Healthier Braided Piroskis (Pirozhkis)
Pirozhki or piroshki or Piroski (as we call them in Greece, with stress on the last syllable), are made from yeast dough and filled with a variety of fillings and are great for snacks, appetizers, lunch or dinner.
Cottage Pie with Leftover lamb or ground Veal
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Lamb Pie and Lamb Gyros with Leftovers
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Traditional Greek desserts
Here are a few of the most popular Greek desserts
Galaktoboureko (Greek semolina Pudding wrapped in phyllo)
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No-Bake Chocolate Hazelnut Biscuit Fridge Cake
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All you need to know about Greek Baklavas
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Lemon Ekmek Kataifi
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Kantaifi
Kantaifi (pronounced Ka-ta-ee-fi), is a pastry made with a special form of shredded phyllo dough which looks like angel pasta. It is used to make a delicious dessert called kantaifi, which encloses a filling with chopped almonds or walnuts (and sometimes other nuts), scented with rose water, ground cloves and cinnamon. When baked it is then drenched in an aromatic syrup.
Easter Desserts
Tsourekia and Koulourakia are the most traditional Greek Orthodox Easter desserts, made especially for this occasion.
Tsoureki with 6 cords
Tsoureki is a sweet brioch type of bread made during Easter. In the video you can watch a new technique of braiding tsoureki with six cords.
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Tsourekia with Chestnut filling
Tsoureki, plural Tsourekia, (pronounced TSOU-rhe-kee), is a slightly sweet Greek bread, similar to brioche, which is braided and made throughout the year. It is also part of our Easter and Christmas traditions.
Braided Savory Cheese Tsoureki
This braided Savory cheese tsoureki is made with tsoureki dough and a filling made with cheese, eggs and mint.
Tsoureki Pudding and Other Bread Puddings
Bread Pudding is an old fashioned dessert which is made in many countries which had an English influence.
Koulourakia Paschalina (Greek Easter Cookies)
Koulourakia Paschalina are Greek Easter Traditional Cookies, which are crispy outside and soft inside, full of orange flavour.
Traditional Lambriatika Koulourakia (Greek Easter Cookies)
Traditional Lambriatika Koulourakia (also called Paschalina Koulourakia), are Greek Easter butter cookies, which are traditionally made only during Easter and have a distinct flavour as baking ammonia is used as the leavening agent.
Cakes for Special Occasions
Here are some special cakes to celebrate your name day!
Twix Banoffee Cheesecake with Greek Yoghurt and Caramelized Bananas
This Twix Banoffee Cheesecake is made from fresh and caramelized bananas, cream and toffee (made from boiled condensed milk, or dulce de leche), combined on a buttery biscuit base and decorated with Twix Chocolates and dulce de leche sauce.
Toblerone Cake with Cream Cheese and White Chocolate
This amazing Toblerone Cake was made with a sponge cake and the filling and decorations are are made with cream cheese and rich Toblerone frosting.
Strawberry Cake with White Chocolate Leafs and Cream Cheese frosting
Looking for a different Strawberry Cake? Â This tutorial which teach you to make a vanilla sponge made from scratch decorated with whipped cream and white chocolate leafs? Â How does that sound?
Luscious Bounty Cake
Bountry Cake is a luscious cake which mimics the chocolate bars as it is filled with coconut cream and topped with chocolate!
Strawberry Chocolate Cake with 3 Greek Ingredients
An impressive strawberry chocolate coffee celebration cake for any occasion. It is made with a simple sponge, filled with chocolate mousse and cooked strawberries, topped with fluffy buttercream frosting and fresh strawberries
Strawberry Red Velvet Cake
An amazing red velvet cake sandwiched with strawberry cream cheese filling and topped with cream cheese frosting.
Ferrero Rocher Chocolate Cake
Ferrero Rocher is a cake made with chocolate sponge, filled with a cream cheese chocolate ferrero rocher filling and topped with chocolate ganache.
Strawberry Bavarian Cream Cake
This Strawberry Bavarian Cream Cake is made with 4 layers sponge Cake, filled with whipped cream, cream cheese and strawberry coulis, topped with a strawberry white chocolate frosting.
Tourta Fraoulita (Strawberry Cake)
Tourta Fraoulita is a 100% homemade Strawberry Cake filled with strawberry yoghurt mousse and topped with strawberry white chocolate frosting, which I made from scratch to celebrate my husband's name day.
Sockerkaka Pomegranate Sponge Cake
Sockerkaka, is an easy and delicious sponge cake that comes from Sweden. It can be eaten as it is or made into a birthday cake.
Salted Caramel Lemon Poppy Pound Cake
A moist, buttery and subtly flavoured lemon sponge, with pastry cream between the layers and topped with salted caramel and whipped cream. Â
Black Forest Cherry and Gooseberry Cake
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Kalo Pascha (Happy Easter)
Kopiaste and Kali Orexi,
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.