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Traditional Greek Giouvarlakia with Chicken and Trahana soup served warm in a rustic bowl

Giouvarlakia with minced chicken meat and trahana.

Kastra Recipes Staff
Traditional greek meatball soup with minced chicken meat and sweet trahana.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Soup
Cuisine Greek
Servings 5 people
Calories 350 kcal

Ingredients
  

Giouvarlakia Mix

  • 800 gr minced chicken
  • 150 gr sweet trahana
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika powdered
  • 1 tsp ginger powdered
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1/2 bunch parsley finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

SOUP

  • 2,000 ml hot water (8 cups)
  • 1 cube chicken stock (1 cup hot water plus 1 cube chicken stock)
  • 75 ml olive oil
  • 100 gr sweet trahana
  • salt & pepper to taste

Avgolemono Sauce

  • 2 eggs preferably organic
  • 1 lemon, juice of about 70 ml

Instructions
 

Prepare the meatballs

  • Chop the onion finely.
  • Chop the parsley, only the leaves, finely.
  • In a deep bowl, put all the ingredients for the giouvarlakia and knead them for about 2-3 minutes until you have a pliable mixture. May be a bit sticky but do your best.
  • Form into balls the size of a small walnut, and set aside.

Prepare the soup

  •  Pour the olive oil in a wide pot (with lid).
  • Place the meatballs in the pot, next to each other, not on top of each other. Make sure they are all same size! This mix makes about 24 meatballs.
  • Dissolve the stock cube in a bowl with 500 ml hot water.
  • Pour the hot water with the stock into the pot from the edge of the pot, to prevent meatballs from breaking apart.
  • Add 8 more cups of boiling water as well (2000 ml) into the pot with the meatballs.
  • Place the pot over medium heat, and season again with salt and pepper.
  • When water comes to a boil, reduce heat to low, place lid on top and let meatballs simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Add the trachana to the soup. Carefully stir so as not to dissolve the giouvarlakia. Continue cooking for about another 10 minutes, until the trachana softens and the soup thickens slightly. Remove from heat.

Prepare the avgolemono sauce

  • Make sure the eggs are at room temperature.
  • You’ll need about 3 – 4 cups of the chicken broth, depending on how thick or runny you like your avgolemono.
  • Start off by separating the egg whites from the egg yolks. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and gradually add the lemon juice while whisking until combined. When done set aside.
  • In another bowl add the egg whites and whisk using a hand mixer until the egg whites are white and fluffy. While whisking slowly add the yolk mixture into the egg whites.
  • Continue whisking for 1-2 minutes and gradually add some of the warm broth, a little bit at a time. Make sure you add the warm broth slowly or the egg whites will curdle!
  • When done, pour the mixture back into the pot and shake the pot to mix in the egg mix, do not stir to avoid breaking the meatballs
  • Place the pot back on low heat to simmer for 10 minutes.
  • The result will be a nice, thick soup, ready to serve!
Keyword avgolemono, minced chicken meat, trahana