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Youvarlakia
Youvarlákia: soft rice-and-beef meatballs in a lemony egg-lemon broth
Youvarlakia is the soup Greek mothers, from Tripoli in the Arcadian hills to the Athens suburbs, make for a cold night or anyone feeling under the weather. Little meatballs of beef, rice, onion and herbs poach in a light broth until tender, and the broth is thickened at the end with whisked egg and lemon into a pale, silky avgolemono. It's a meal in a bowl, with bread and feta. Common mistake: boiling the soup after the egg goes in, which curdles it — take the pot off the heat first. Chef's tip: roll the meatballs with wet hands and drop them into simmering, not boiling, broth so they hold together.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the meatballs
For the soup
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb beef mince, 2 ⅞ oz short-grain rice, 1 onion, ½ oz fresh flat-leaf parsley, ⅓ oz fresh dill, 1 egg white, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper well. With wet hands roll into balls the size of a walnut.
15 minStep 2: Bring 6 ¼ cups chicken or vegetable stock to a gentle simmer in a wide pot with 2 tbsp olive oil and the 1 carrot if using.
Step 3: Lower the meatballs into the broth one by one. Cover and simmer gently until the rice inside is soft and the meatballs reach 160°F in the centre.
40 minStep 4: Take the pot off the heat. Whisk 2 eggs (and the yolk left from the egg white) until frothy, then whisk in 2 lemons.
Step 5: Whisking constantly, add a ladle of hot broth to the egg mixture, then another two, so it warms without curdling.
Step 6: Pour the egg-lemon into the pot and swirl gently. Return to the lowest heat for 2 minutes, stirring, until slightly thickened and silky; don't let it boil. Season and serve at once.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does youvarlakia take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of short-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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