No Soup for You

Not really. Plenty of soup here. But seriously, all this about...soup? Yes. You'll want to lick the bowls. That good.

First up: O'Lordan's Potato & Leek. If you haven't tried it, do! If you're local, you really want to get in the car or jog down the street, stat. Not local, find a way to BWI asap. Divine. Just devoured some last week for St. Pat's. Perfect with Orchard Spinach Salad and a Killian's Red.

http://www.olordansirishpub.com

The second soup that will have you asking for seconds: Greek-Lemon Chicken. Warmth at winter's end = my friend Judy's January-March "soup night." Mid-week during her demanding job in disaster relief, Judy makes 2 huge crocks of soup & invites friend's to drop by at their convenience for a bowl of culinary mastery, artisan bread, coffee, and conversation. My family loves this awesome community tradition (something, unlike, say 4+ feet of snow in less than a week that we won't miss after it melts). Recipe for last week's savoring:

Avgolemono, or Greek Lemon-Chicken soup

6 c chicken broth
1 sm onion
1 sm carrot
1 bay leaf
1/2 t salt
2 chicken breasts
1 c long grain white rice
2 eggs
1/4 c lemon juice
2 T chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Chop onion & carrot fine, saute till cooked. Dice chicken & brown. Place in a pot with broth, lemon & spices. Beat the eggs very well, add hot soup to them slowly and continue to beat, then slowly put the egg mixture into the soup (important: do not let the soup/eggs boil again). Add rice & simmer 20 minutes.

Beautiful, delicious, and perfect in every way. Σας ευχαριστούμε (thank you), Judy!

Uno mas. I have a dear friend & neighbor who makes incredible gazpacho & it seems the perfect soup to celebrate spring. Actually spring through summer, as it's served cold. I'm thrilled that she shared her un-recipe: "I use V8 juice as a base, then add whatever fresh veggies I can get, add many seasonings and olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, etc. I use the food processor and like it chunky...I guess it is something I prepare by the seat of my pants and we all seem to enjoy it." True, we do. Gracias, Dolly!