Red soup with glass of white wine and bread ()
March weather can be unpredicable. We can see warmer days of spring or the last holds of winter chill. If you are experiencing the latter, we've got some delicious soups, so you can stay bundled at home and "travel" around Europe.
How about a steaming bowl of soul-warming soup made of healthy ingredients and flouting flavors belying its country of origin? While there’s no solid scientific evidence proving the consumption of soups definitively leads to weight loss, it’s thought all that liquid leaves us with a feeling of fullness. And when they’re brimming with veggies, lean meats and protein-rich eggs, they’re a healthy choice too.
Avgolemono from Greece
Avgolemono—hot Greek lemon soup.
The two main ingredients of this classic soup are eggs and lemon juice, from which the soup takes its name. The secret to a successful avgolemono is to combine the eggs and lemon with the broth of a chicken soup, whisking all the while, and removing the soup from the heat before the eggs have the chance to curdle. Chicken pieces and rice complete the dish. Its citrusy fragrance and silky texture make it a favorite amongst all ages and in all seasons, and it goes down especially well when one is congested or under the weather. The ready availability of its ingredients makes it popular in the Mideast too.
Spices: Parsley, thyme, grated lemon peel
Recipe: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/avgolemono-soup-recipe/
Tojásleves from Hungary
This slightly spicy egg drop soup makes use of simple, inexpensive ingredients and gets its sour kick from the (optional) addition of vinegar at the end of the cooking process. Ingredients are simple and likely things you have at home already: onions, flour and lots of eggs. You’ll find this unpretentious soup on the menu of rustic restaurants and the tables of homes throughout the country.
Spices: Bay leaf, paprika, caraway, pepper, parsley
Recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34lF6bZWEYM
Kharcho from Georgia
Traditional Georgian soup Kharcho.
One of the world’s great soups might not be particularly low calorie, but its distinct and delicious taste earns it a mention here. This hearty winter warmer is made of beef, rice, tomato paste and walnuts. It’s popular not only in its homeland, but other parts of the former Soviet Union.
Spices: Its major spice, khmeli suneli, is a staple of Georgian cooking and consists of a mix of coriander seed, dried basil, parsley, dill, bay leaf, fenugreek and other spices. If you can’t find it, you can sub it for your own mix of dill, majoram, pepper corns and cumin.
Recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoR3Ruf_X2c
Borscht from Ukraine
Borscht is a dietary staple of Belarusian, Moldovan, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Russian and Ukrainian cuisine. Although various iterations of it exist, Americans generally think of it a soup brimming with beets. One of its main characteristics is a sour taste, which comes from the presence of vegetables that lend themselves to pickling, a way to insure the summer harvest stretched well into the winter. But even if you use only fresh veggies such as beets, carrots and potatoes, it’s a soup sure to charm with its cheery red color and the sweetness.
Spices: Fresh dill, red pepper and a dollop of sour cream to finish.
Recipe: https://tatyanaseverydayfood.com/recipe-items/classic-beef-borscht/
Grünkohl Suppe from Germany
Kale soup.
Grünkohl, or kale, is the star ingredient in this soup that’s been a staple food in Northern Germany for generations. The vegetable is widely available at German supermarkets and won’t break the bank. Various recipes call for different types of sausages, so simply choose the one you like best.
Spices: Black pepper, mustard
