Avogolemono soup is a Mediterranean dish meaning
“Ègg-lemon”. I have never had it so I am not sure how closely this raw dish
tastes like the real thing.
Ingredients:
Avgolemono:
Jicama (1/2 cup)Cashews (1/4 cup soaked 4 hours)
Lemon Juice (1 large squeezed)
Olive oil (4 tbs)
Saffron (1/2-1 teaspoon dissolved in warm water)
Salt/Pepper to taste
Mushroom Meatballs:
Mushroom, Portobello or Shitake works best (1 cup)
Peanuts Raw (1/4cup ) (Any nuts work, walnuts are the best)Tahini (3 tbs)
Olive Oil (2 tbs)
Zucchini (1 8 inch chopped into small pieces)
Oregano (1/5 cup fresh)
Salt/Pepper to taste
Cream:
Cashews (1/6 cup soaked 4 hours)
Agave nector (4 tbs)Oregano (1/4 cup fresh)
Nutritional Yeast (5 tbs)
Salt to taste
Soak water from cashew to desired thickness
For the Avgolemono, mix all the ingredients in a food
processor for about 2 minutes. This one is easy to mess up and ruin your day as
real saffron is expensive and if not prepared properly can either be
tasteless or can overpower a dish. So go ahead, research what real saffron is
so you do not get ripped off, then experiment. Warm water for the saffron for
me is water too cool for tea but above room temperature. I soak the saffron
threads for 2+ hours. I dissolve the threads in a cup of water and then use
that water to thin the Avgolemono. Don't worry if some threads do not dissolve, after 2 hours in water they are ready. I like it gruel thickness but others like it
soup like consistency.
For the meatballs you can use button mushrooms but
portabellas or shitakes add flavor. I use raw peanuts as they are cheaper. This
tastes best with walnuts. Raw tahini does not taste as creamy as roasted
tahini. Raw tahini takes some getting used to so in the beginning you can use roasted
tahini (especially if you live in cities like St. Louis where raw anything is
hard to find). Blend all the ingredients in a food processor for about 30
seconds. The roll them into any size meatballs you like.
For the cream, mix all together in a food processor for 2
minutes. Add cashew soak water slowly to thin if you want thinner.
Put the Avgolemono in a bowl, add a few mushroom
meatballs and put some of the cream on top. The above makes enough for one
person as their main dish with a little left over. This dish makes a nice
appetiser also. It seems like a lot of work. I can put all three together in 30
minutes. Double the ingredients for 2 people.
The key to this dish is getting the saffron taste correct
and using very fresh oregano leaves.
Feel free to up the amount or oregano if you have it. This dish will
pretty much convince you that raw and fresh can beat any cooked fatty, cheesy,
creamy thing out there. Please comment with your opinion. This one is worth the
work. You will not be disappointed. (Sorry the photo below is blurry) Salud!
.
