Giouvarlakia are meatballs with rice in a lemony avgolemono sauce. You can use ground veal or beef, pork, or a mixture of veal or beef and pork together or chicken or turkey mince, for a healthier soup.
When the meatballs are cooked, then make «avgolemono» which is an egg-lemon sauce and turn it into a delicious creamy soup. Some people consider Giouvarlakia a «meatball soup» and the broth is not thickened; others consider it meatballs with Avgolemono sauce, and cornstarch is added, depending on how thick they want it to be. I always make it as a soup and during cold winter days it is a wonderful comfort dish, light and tasty and will warm you up in no time.
The recipe is included in my cookbook Mint, Cinnamon & Blossom Water, Flavours of Cyprus, Kopiaste!
Tags: Avgolemono, beef, Cypriot cookbook, giouvarlakia, Greek, Ground meat, Kopiaste.. Flavours of Cyprus, Meatballs, Rice, Sauces, Soups
I could see how this could be a comfort food! I’ve never tried it though, I’ll have to make your recipe!
It’s a must for the cold days and nights and you’ve got plenty of them.
I do like Avgolemono Soup. But I have never had it with the meatballs. Looks great, Ivy. True comfort food!
Giouvarlakia is a much more filling soup and can be the main dish whereas Avgolemono is more like a starter.
The meatballs would make this soup more like a meal…although I have a light appetite.I love all things with avgolemono!!!
Hi Val and thanks for visiting. We do eat it like a light meal and yes I have read you commenting that in a restaurant in Greece everything had an avgolemono sauce on them (lol).
Thank you so very much. This is just what Peter was looking for. I make the lemon soup all the time, but he could not remember how his YaiYai made the meatballs. You are wonderful. Rose
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