Festive Recipes/ Healthy Meals/ Lenten/ Recipes/ Savory/ Soups/ Vegan/ Vegetables/ Vegetarian

Magiritsa (Greek Easter Soup) with Mushrooms

Magiritsa (Greek: μαγειρίτσα) is a Greek soup made from lamb offal, associated with the Easter (Pascha) tradition of the Greek Orthodox Church. Accordingly, Greek-Americans and Greek-Canadians sometimes call it “Easter soup”, “Easter Sunday soup”, or “Easter lamb soup”. Magiritsa is eaten to break the fast of the Greek Orthodox Great Lent, the 40 days before Easter. Its role and ingredients result from its association with the roasted lamb traditionally served at the Paschal meal; in its traditional form, magiritsa simply consists of all the offal removed from the lamb before roasting, and subsequently flavored with seasonings and sauces. Prepared by Greeks on Holy Saturday along with the next day’s lamb, magiritsa is consumed immediately after the Pascha midnight Divine Liturgy. The dish is particularly thick and filling, making it a satisfying meal for breaking the fast. (info from Wikipedia).

Since offal is the only food I could never eat, I decided to try the vegetarian and vegan versions of the soup, made with mushrooms. This recipe is adapted from the one of a famous Greek chef, Elias Mamalakis.

Beyond the traditional version with the egg and lemon sauce (avgolemono), which I love very much, I suggest a vegan version without eggs, as well. I tried the latter for the first time and I admit that surprised me pleasantly. It is ideal not only for vegans but also for those who avoid eggs for health reasons. Here I must say that Mr. Mamalakis note that we can prepare a lighter egg/lemon with only egg whites only. So, choose your favorite!

Vegan

This version of Magiritsa with mushrooms has curly endive and lettuce. Curly endives belong to the family of radishes and have significant beneficial properties. It is rich in vitamins C, A, B1, B2 and carotenoids as well as minerals such as iron, potassium, sodium, phosphorus and magnesium. The abundance in beta – carotene fortifies the body and prevents the development of “free radicals”, helping to protect against cardiovascular disease. Radish is considered an excellent diuretic; as well as a very good tonic, digestive and detoxifying. Ideal for purifying blood, it is laxative, tonic, ant rheumatic. It lowers cholesterol and decoction of leaves used for diabetes and obesity. Is beneficial in terms of glandular function, it helps combat fluid retention during menstruation (dysmenorrhea). Radish can be used for inflammation or congestion of the liver and gall bladder. In case of gallstones, if the stones are large or if taking medication, consult your doctor before using.

Lettuce, perhaps the most common vegetable for a salad, has great nutritional value. It is rich in lutein, carotenoids, vitamins A, B, C, and E, whereas due to chlorophyll, has strong antitumor activity and also strengthens the immune system. Manganese contained in lettuce significantly helps in proper functioning of metabolism, whereas chromium protects against heart disease. Finally, fiber reduces cholesterol levels and help digestion operation. If you also consider the precious beneficial properties of mushrooms, you will realize that you have a dynamite dish!!

Preparation time: 1 hour

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

500 g. (17.60z) various mushrooms cleaned and cut into medium-sized pieces (I used white and oyster)
3-4 large fresh green onions, chopped
¼ cup (2oz) soup rice
½ cup olive oil
100 g. (3.50z) lettuce leaves (about ¼ lettuce), coarsely chopped
the tender parts of 500 g. curly endive (110z), coarsely chopped
30 gr. dill (about 1oz), chopped
salt, pepper

for the egg and lemon sauce (avgolemono):

3 medium eggs (separated whites from the yolks)
the juice of 2 lemons

vegan version (without eggs):

the juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions:

In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat the olive oil and gently sauté the chopped onions.
Add rice and stir for one minute.
Add mushrooms, stir and let them cook a bit and soften.
Pour into the pot the greens and stir until wilted. Add 2-3 cups water and salt and let the soup cook for about 30 minutes.

for the egg and lemon sauce (avgolemono):

Beat the egg whites until fluffy and then pour the egg yolks one at a time, beating.
Add a little bit of lemon juice and continue beating.
Pour 1-2 tablespoons of the broth of the soup into the eggs and stir.
Pour the egg and lemon sauce in the soup and your meal is ready.

for the vegan version:

Mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch into the lemon juice and pour the mixture into the soup.
Allow the soup to a boil and your meal is ready.

If you decide to cook magiritsa with mushrooms for Easter I wish to enjoy it! I wish you all a Happy Easter!! We will meet again in the blogosphere the week after Orthodox Easter Sunday.

	Nutritional Facts per Serving
	Calories	Carbohydrates	Sugars	Total Fat	Saturated Fat	Proteins	Dietary Fibers	Cholesterol
w/ eggs	368.9	17.0	3.0	31.0	4.8	10.3	3.3	123.8
vegan	336.6	20.4	2.9	27.9	3.7	6.1	3.3	1.0mg