Easter Soup Recipe 455

Steps:

• Tip the oil, bay, oregano, onions, garlic and leeks into a large pan over a medium heat and cook gently for 10 mins until the onions and leeks soften and become translucent. Add the lamb along with the bone, and cook for 10 mins more until the lamb has started to colour. Pour in the wine, then add the lettuce. Cook for 5 mins more. Tip in 3 litres cold water, cover and cook for about 1 hr until the lamb is tender.
• Meanwhile, tip the herbs into a bowl with 1 tsp sea salt and the spinach. Rub the salt and herbs into the spinach with your hands for 2 mins until the herbs and spinach have wilted. When the lamb has had 40 mins, add half the herb and spinach mix to the pan and continue cooking for the remaining 20 mins. Remove the bone and discard, then remove the meat using a slotted spoon, transfer to a board and shred using two forks. Return the meat to the pan, remove from the heat and add the rest of the spinach mix.
• To make the dolma filling, spoon a third of the lamb and spinach from the soup into a bowl using a slotted spoon, then mix with the uncooked rice, 3 tbsp of the oil, the lemon juice and some seasoning. Spread the vine leaves out on a board and put a teaspoon of the filling in the centre of each. Roll each one up into a cigar shape, tucking in the ends as you go to enclose the filling. Arrange the dolma in a single layer in a small saucepan and drizzle with the rest of the oil and a ladleful of the soup. Cover and cook for 20 mins over a medium heat. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Whisk the eggs with the lemon juice and a ladleful of the soup, then tip this back into the pan with the rest of the soup, then stir (off the heat) until the soup is glossy and silky. Put about three dolma in each bowl, ladle over the soup, sprinkle with some chilli flakes, if you like, and serve with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over.

Steps:

• Add kielbasa and water to a large pan, bring water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes.
• Remove the sausage and refrigerate both sausage and cooking liquid overnight.
• Next day, remove the fat from the liquid, add the vinegar and hoseradish.
• Mix the flour and cream and add to the pan.
• Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
• Allow kielbasa to return to room temperature or rewarm and slice it.
• Serve hot broth with sliced kielbasa and eggs.

Steps:

• Place the chicken soup in a wide pot over low heat. Add the carrot, onion, celery and garlic and simmer over very low heat for 40 minutes. Add the shredded chicken.
• Meanwhile, place the ground beef in a bowl. Season with a half teaspoon of salt, a half teaspoon of black pepper and one tablespoon of the minced parsley. Form the meat into balls that are about one inch in diameter. Using a spoon, gently slide the meatballs into the broth. Do not raise heat or stir, but use a spoon to gently turn each meatball, so that they cook evenly.
• Place the ricotta and the egg in a bowl. Season it with one teaspoon of salt, a half-teaspoon of black pepper and one tablespoon of the minced parsley, then stir well to combine. After the meatballs have cooked for 20 minutes, use a teaspoon to form ricotta dumplings and carefully slide them into the broth. Do not raise the heat or touch the dumplings until they are set, about seven minutes.
• Adjust the seasoning of the soup with additional salt and pepper. Carefully ladle the soup into warmed bowls, garnishing each with the remaining minced parsley, and serve.