Vegetarian Mushroom Magiritsa with Avgolemono

Greek mushroom magiritsa soup in a white bowl with red Easter egg and lemon

Vegetarian Mushroom Magiritsa with Avgolemono

Course Main

Cuisine Greek

Prep Time 15

Servings

Calories 211kcal

Author by Jenny Skrapaliori Graves

Ingredients

1 lb white button mushrooms (500g) halved or quartered, depending on size
1 lb portobello mushrooms cut into cubes
1 lb oyster mushrooms tough stems removed, torn or cubed
10 oz shimeji mushrooms (300g) trimmed at the base and separated
7 oz enoki mushrooms (200g) trimmed at the base and separated
⅓ cup olive oil (80ml)
1 large yellow onion finely chopped
5 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 celery stalks finely chopped
1 cup good quality vegetable broth (250ml) or chicken
1 bay leaf
Leaves from ½ bunch fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried thyme, crumbled
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ cup fresh dill roughly chopped (about ½ bunch)
2 large handfuls of arugula (rocket) coarse stems removed, roughly chopped
1 head romaine lettuce roughly chopped
5 eggs preferably organic/free-range
Juice of 1 lemon or to taste
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Wipe all mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel to remove any dirt. Don't wash them — they'll absorb water and won't sauté properly.
1 lb white button mushrooms, 1 lb portobello mushrooms, 1 lb oyster mushrooms, 10 oz shimeji mushrooms, 7 oz enoki mushrooms
Trim the tough stems from the oyster mushrooms and cut away any hard stem ends from the button and portobello mushrooms. Trim the stem edges from the shimeji and the enoki.
Cut button mushrooms in half (small) or quarters (large). Cut oyster and portobello mushrooms into rough cubes. Leave trumpet and chanterelle mushrooms whole.
In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the measured olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and celery, and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened.
⅓ cup olive oil, 1 large yellow onion, 5 garlic cloves, 2 celery stalks
Add the broth, bay leaf, and thyme. Let it cook while you sauté the mushrooms.
1 cup good quality vegetable broth, Leaves from ½ bunch fresh thyme,, 1 bay leaf
In a large skillet over very high heat, sauté the button mushrooms, portobello, and oyster mushrooms in batches with the remaining olive oil — about 4–5 minutes per batch, until nicely browned. Don't crowd the pan. Add each finished batch to the pot.
In the same skillet, sauté the shimeji mushrooms over high heat for 3–4 minutes until golden and slightly crisp at the edges. Set aside — these are for serving.
Once the three mushroom types are sautéed and in the pot, add enough water to cover well. Add the ground coriander, and the ginger. Bring to a low simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, skimming any foam from the surface with a large spoon.
1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground ginger
If needed, add a small splash of hot water — just enough to keep the mushrooms covered. Don't add too much or the broth will be thin.
Stir in the chopped dill, arugula, and lettuce and remove from heat.
½ cup fresh dill, 2 large handfuls of arugula (rocket), 1 head romaine lettuce
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and lemon juice. Slowly ladle several scoops of hot broth into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, to temper it.
5 eggs, Juice of 1 lemon
Pour the tempered avgolemono back into the pot and gently swirl to combine.
Add the crispy shimeji and the enoki mushrooms directly to the hot soup. The enoki need only 1–2 minutes in the residual heat — do not boil them.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
sea salt, freshly ground black pepper

Notes

Mix your mushrooms. The five-variety combination is what gives this soup its depth and complexity — each mushroom brings something different to the broth. That said, don't let availability stop you. Two or three varieties work beautifully; just make up the total weight with what you have. Button, portobello, and oyster are the easiest to find and make a great base on their own.

Swap the broth for white wine. If you'd like a more complex, slightly acidic base, replace the vegetable broth with 250ml of dry white wine. Add it after the aromatics and let it reduce by half before adding water. It adds another layer of depth that works particularly well if you're not serving this at the Easter table and want to take it in a slightly different direction.

Make it creamier. Once the soup has finished cooking and before you add the avgolemono, ladle out about half the soup and blend it until smooth. Return it to the pot, then proceed with the avgolemono. The result is a silkier, more velvety texture that still has plenty of whole mushrooms and greens running through it. An immersion blender works perfectly here.

Don't skip the high-heat sauté. Browning the mushrooms before adding them to the pot is what gives this soup its depth. A crowded pan steams instead of sears — work in batches and don't rush it.

Temper the eggs carefully. Add the hot broth to the egg-lemon mixture slowly and keep whisking constantly. If you rush this step the eggs will scramble. Once the avgolemono is tempered, remove the pot from heat before adding it back — never let it boil again.

Go easy on the water. The mushrooms release a lot of liquid as they cook. Add just enough water to cover and taste the broth before adding more — you want it rich and concentrated, not watery.

Nutrition