If you’re a fan of Greek cuisine, you’re probably familiar with dishes like gyros, moussaka, and baklava.
However, you may be missing out on a whole world of deliciousness if you haven’t tried Greek soups.
Greek soups are known for their hearty, chunky ingredients, and robust, flavorful broths.
With a heavy reliance on legumes and veggies, these soups are anything but bland.
Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia)
Greek Chickpea Soup, or Revithia, is a popular winter soup in Greece due to its creamy texture and delicious taste. This soup is also an excellent source of fiber and natural antioxidants, making it a healthy and appealing option for many people. The chickpeas used in the soup are tender and mild in flavor, but the addition of onions, bay leaf, oregano, lemon juice, salt, and pepper adds a burst of flavor to the dish. The aroma of the soup while cooking is also delightful, making it a comforting dish to come home to.
Manestra (Greek Tomato Orzo Soup)
If you’re looking for a simple and delicious tomato soup, Manestra might be the perfect option for you. This soup is a combination of tomato, orzo, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, and feta cheese. The herbs and spices added to the soup don’t overwhelm its rich tomato flavor. It’s a perfect meal for a cold day, especially when paired with a gooey, buttery grilled cheese sandwich.
Greek Onion Soup
You’ll love the warm and aromatic flavors of Greek onion soup. This simple soup is perfect for onion lovers and is a great alternative to French onion soup. Top it off with crunchy croutons and creamy feta cheese for a meal you won’t forget. Here are some key features of Greek onion soup:
- Warm and flavorful
- Aromatic
- Simple to make
- Great for onion lovers
- Topped with crunchy croutons and creamy feta cheese
Greek Potato Stew
When you try Greek Potato Stew, you will immediately notice the massive potato chunks in it. The recipe calls for cutting the potatoes into huge 2.5 cm chunks, making the dish incredibly filling. The soup also contains onions, garlic, tomato paste, tomatoes, parsley, olive oil, salt, and pepper, which all add to its delicious flavor. This stew is so hearty that it could easily satisfy a lumberjack’s hunger without the need for any additional sides. With its simple yet flavorful ingredients, Greek Potato Stew is a must-try for anyone looking for a comforting and satisfying meal.
Greek Vegetable Stew
If you’re looking for a vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free dish that’s packed with flavor, look no further than Greek vegetable stew. This hearty dish is a departure from the more soupy American vegetable soup, with a chunkier texture and a rich tomato-based broth.
The star of the show in Greek vegetable stew is, of course, the vegetables. Along with the standard onion, tomato, and potato, this stew also features zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, fresh parsley, and tomatoes. The result is a colorful and nutritious dish that’s bursting with garden-fresh flavor.
To add even more depth of flavor, Greek vegetable stew is seasoned with a variety of herbs and spices. The exact blend varies depending on the recipe, but you can expect to find ingredients like garlic, oregano, thyme, and bay leaves. This combination of herbs and spices gives the stew a warm and comforting aroma that’s sure to make your mouth water.
One of the best things about Greek vegetable stew is how versatile it is. You can serve it as a main dish, or as a side to grilled meats or fish. It’s also delicious served over rice or with a crusty piece of bread to soak up the flavorful broth.
Avgolemono (Greek Lemon Chicken Soup)
Avgolemono is a traditional Greek soup that is warm, comforting, and perfect for those who are feeling under the weather. This soup is made with chicken, rice, and a variety of vegetables, but what really sets it apart is the addition of lemon juice, dill, and feta cheese.
The lemon juice adds a sharp, tangy flavor that is perfect for soothing a sore throat, while the dill and feta cheese add a burst of freshness and creaminess to the soup. Overall, avgolemono is a delicious and nutritious soup that is sure to become a staple in your home.
Greek Beef Soup
This savory soup is packed with large chunks of tender beef and potatoes, along with a medley of chopped vegetables such as carrots, celery, and onions. The broth is flavored with a blend of aromatic herbs, giving it a fragrant and comforting taste. While it takes over two hours to prepare, the majority of that time is spent simmering on the stove, making it an easy and low-maintenance dish. This hearty soup is perfect for chilly evenings when you need something filling and warming.
Greek Bean Soup (Fasolada)
Looking for a soup that’s packed with flavor and nutrition? You’ll definitely want to try the Greek bean soup, or fasolada. With 15 ingredients, this soup is full of veggies, herbs, and spices that combine to create a unique and delicious taste. Luckily, all of the ingredients are easy to find, so you can whip up a batch of this soup whenever you’re in the mood for something hearty and satisfying.
Some of the key ingredients in fasolada include crunchy onions and celery, protein- and fiber-rich cannellini beans, fresh parsley, and flavorful broth. The soup also has a distinct earthy and garlic-y flavor that’ll keep you coming back for more. Whether you’re looking for a comforting meal on a chilly day or a nutritious option for lunch or dinner, fasolada is a great choice.
Fakes (Greek Lentil Soup)
Fakes, a popular Greek dish, is a lentil soup that is unique in its simplicity. Unlike most lentil soups, it is made almost exclusively with lentils, with only chopped onions, garlic, bay leaves, tomato paste, and some seasoning added. However, this does not mean that the dish lacks flavor. On the contrary, the garlic and onions provide a rich taste, and the addition of red wine vinegar at the end of cooking gives it an indescribable flavor that is simply amazing.
Fakes is a healthy and hearty soup that is enjoyed by everyone, including children. It is easy to make and can be served as a main dish or as a side dish. It is also a great source of protein, fiber, and other essential nutrients.
Here is a summary of the key points about Fakes:
- Fakes is a Greek lentil soup that is made almost exclusively with lentils.
- The soup is flavored with chopped onions, garlic, bay leaves, tomato paste, and red wine vinegar.
- Fakes is a healthy and hearty dish that is enjoyed by everyone, including children.
- It is easy to make and can be served as a main dish or as a side dish.
- Fakes is a great source of protein, fiber, and other essential nutrients.
Patsas
Patsas is a soup that may sound intimidating at first due to its unconventional ingredients such as beef tripe and cow feet. However, once you get past that, you’ll discover a soup with a rich, savory taste that is complemented by notes of oregano, garlic, and rosemary. The soup also features bursts of citrusy and zesty flavors from lemons and vinegar. The best part is that the soup can be made easily in a pressure cooker, requiring minimal effort on your part.
Summary
You are likely familiar with the famous Greek soup, Avgolemono, made with chicken, lemon, and egg. However, Greek cuisine has a variety of delicious soups to offer.
Some of the most popular include Fasolada, a hearty bean soup, and Psarosoupa, a flavorful fish soup. Other options include Trahana, a sourdough and milk soup, and Revithia, a chickpea soup.
These soups are often served as a starter or main course and are perfect for any occasion.