Avgolemono...

Operation Remove Shrapnel is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. After yesterday's disastrous bout with heartburn (a long and convoluted story involvingautoimmune gastritis), I thought it best to make a healthier choice for today's breakfast. Sometimes I love soup as my first meal, and since all ingredients were on hand - starting with leftover rice in the fridge and bone broth in the pantry - composition couldn't have been easier. It never used to bother me, but yesterday's day-starter of toast with butter laid me so low, I contemplated a visit to the emergency room on a blissfully sunny Sunday because it felt like the grim reaper waspounding(not knocking) on the door. Since bone broth is inherently beneficial for gut health, the decision was easy. Avgolemono is one of the easiest and healthiest soups in my repertoire. It's a Greek soup made with chicken broth, rice, and fresh lemons. There are many recipes out there, but it's forgiving enough that you can improvise, which is what I did, using the following: About 3 cups cooked rice 32 ounces chicken bone broth 2 egg yolks A few tablespoons of fresh oregano from the garden (dried works also) Juice of 2 lemons That's IT! Heat the broth and rice together until hot, but not boiling. Add the oregano and stir. This next step is not essential, but I do it because I'm a stickler for texture: take half of the soup-rice mixture and blitz it in the blender and then pour back in the pot. Keep warm on low, and whisk in the egg yolks. Just before serving, add the lemon juice. Make sure not to overheat the soup when the lemon juice is in it, or it will turn bitter. In attempting to mitigate auto-immune issues and eat healthier, it's essential for me to disconnect entirely from the intimidating shadows of ghost of diet culture past. You know the sentiments: slash and burn portion sizes; enjoyment of food is frowned upon, if not forbidden entirely; weigh yourself often; and a host of other masochistic directives. Spoiler alert:they don't work.But thoughtfully and deliberately nourishing yourself most definitely does. And speaking of pure enjoyment: Avgolemono is made even more delicious with a gentle drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil; and I encourage you tonotcount the fat grams. Just dig in. So nourishing, so delicious, and not a second of heartburn afterwards - Hallelujah! 🎉🍋🥣🍋🎉 Operation Remove Shrapnel is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.