Sour egg drop soup (blended) with poached eggs

 

OK, I love the taste, family is not over the moon about the texture of the drizzled eggs, but we all like a good vinegary, sour soup. Plus, its ready in 15-20 minutes (like really, it is ready!) and it has 3 ingredients plus the spices. Best for a light dinner.

So I came up with the no-brainer idea to use my immersion blender and make the soup creamy. Well, why not?

I made the soup a but thicker, as there will be no texture from the egg ribbons, at it should. If you wanna keep the egg ribbons I would use only about 2 tsp of flour in the roux.

Ingredients

For the roux

1/4 cup oil, I prefer sunflower of avocado

2 - 3.5 tsp all purpose flour

1 tsp paprika powder

For the soup

3 eggs + about 4-6 pouched eggs, 1 egg per serving / person

2 cups of vegetable or bone broth (you can add an extra cup instead of 1 cup water)

1 1/2 tsp to 1 tbsp caraway seeds is a teabag, or cotton bag, to be able to remove them easily (if you don't want them swimming in your soup), depending how strong you like the flavor

1/2 small / medium yellow onion, I added a 1/4 of the huge Costco yellow onions (optional)

salt, black pepper, 

1/8 to 1/4 cup vinegar

croutons for serving

In a small, 2 quart, pot heat the 1/4 cup oil, when hot (in just couple of seconds... ) add the 2 tsp flour if you'll keep the egg ribbons, or 3.5 tbsp flour if you will blend it all together.

Whisking constantly wait until the flour's color changes from white to light cream, remove from the heat, add the paprika powder. Pour in the 2 cups broth and 4 water, 6 cups all together.

Place the pot back to the heat, add the caraway seeds, 1 tsp salt, a good pinch of black pepper, the onion, and bring to low simmer.

Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, allowing the caraway aroma to flavor the soup. Meanwhile whisk 3 large eggs in a separate small bowl.

After 10 minutes remove the onion from the soup, and at low simmer, using a wooden spoon,  stirring constantly, pour SLOWLY in the eggs. At the end you have nice egg ribbons from the stirring.

Now.. That's what is totally irrelevant for me, as at this point I blend the whole soup into a creamy liquid with the immersion mixer. Remove the caraway seed bag, not to mixed the cloth in accidentally.. 

Add the vinegar, as much or as little you like. Don't leave it out tho, the caraway seeds and the vinegar are the only spices that make this soup taste good.

I poach the eggs directly into the soup, by dropping them into the soup from as low as I can tolerate the heat (don't dip your fingers in the soup tho' ;) ). I drop each egg in different locations, and just scoop the a bit up with the spoon to make sure the don't sink and stick to the bottom. Bring back to boil, and you can turn off the heat. The hot soup will finish cooking the eggs.

Wait for few minutes, like 5-7 minutes, and serve with croutons, or just bread.

Bon appétit!

Creamy squash - or - zucchini soup

I am rarely raging about something when it comes to food 'cause I've been spoiled with fresh, home made food.
Squash is however the best ever vegetable I can think of (zucchini will do as well), and the fresh zucchini season just started at our local food store.

We had this soup on a regular bases as soon as the squash was rape in our garden, and it is a pleasure to have on hot summer days as it can be consumed both cold or warm.
The way grandma made was lighter, but when my hubby found this recipe we all fell in love with it, and adopted it to fit our ways of cooking.

Ingredients
3 pounds of squash or zicchini
2-3 carrots
2-3 parsley roots (if you can't find any use parsnip, though not quite the same)
1 middle sized onion
vinegar to taste(start with 1-2 tbsp, we usually add at least 4-5 tbsp)
salt
pepper
     powder paprika (optional!!)
2 small bunches of fresh dill
fresh savory or small pinch of crumbled dry savory (borsikafu avagy csombord)
1-3 tbsp olive (preferably non tasty one, I use sunflower oil)
2 dl sour cream
3 egg yolks

Before you start the next step, you have to decide how you like your soup. I you like it very smooth, and creamy, start grating your ingredients on the larger side of the grater. (you can use a food processor as well, but don't overdo it).
If you like your soup more chunky, cut the carrots and parsley root into thin slices, as well as the squash/zucchini.
Cut the dill as well into tiny pieces, leave some for garnish.
1. In a large pot (I'd choose a minimum 3 quart pot) heat the oil, and stir in the onion.
2. When they are getting "glassy" add the carrot and parsley slices. Saute together shortly, 1-2 minutes, than add 2 liters (2.2 quarts) of water.
3. Add the savory, salt and pepper (2 generous pinches) to taste, and  boil them together for 5 minutes.
4. Now add the squash/zucchini and the fresh dill cut into small pieces. Adjust saltiness, add and boil for additional 15 minutes.
5. Mix the egg yolks with the sour cream and the vinegar in a 1-2 quart bowl. Add one ladle of the hot soup, lightly stir, add one more ladle of hot soup, stir again, and now add the mixture back to the boiling soup. Wait for 1-2 minutes until you see the first VERY SMALL bubbles as a sign of boiling, and remove immediately from heat.
Do NOT boil it again, or the egg will make your soup look like a too liquid omelet...
It is delicious both warm and cold, and it is a veggie in season, so enjoy! 


Garnish with additional dill, and enjoy!

Bon appétit!