February - Trachanas Soup
Recipe for 10 Servings
Ingredients
• 2 cups of dried or fresh trachanas
• 2 litres chicken stock
• 100g halloumi cheese, cut in small cubes
• Pinch of fresh ground pepper
• Croutons
• Olive oil for garnish
Instructions
1. Pour the chicken stock into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the dried trachanas and stir well until the trachanas is soft and breaks apart.
2. The more you cook it the smoother the soup and the more flavour it has.
3. Cook the halloumi cubes in a non-stick frying pan until golden brown.
4. Prepare the croutons by frying or baking them in one tablespoon of olive oil.
5. Season the trahanas to taste and serve in a nice traditional soup cup or in a soup plate.
6. Garnish with the sauteed halloumi cubes, golden brown croutons and drizzle olive oil.
Chef’s Tips
• Usually trachanas does not need extra salt or lemon but if necessary add a little extra.
• In some parts of Cyprus they used to break small eggs and poach them in the soup as it boiled.
• If you want trachanas to become creamier, you can put it in the blender with a little milk before serving.
• In some areas of Cyprus they used to add a little vermicelli to the trachanas.
Seasonal Food Commodities
Vegetables / Salad / Herbs:
Wild asparagus, artichokes, dill, parsley, broccoli, beetroot, radishes, cabbage, spinach, fennel, avocado, cauliflower, lettuce, carrots, celery, pagkaloi (wild greens), mallow, fresh broad beans, wild mushrooms
Fruit:
Oranges, lemons, tangerines,grapefruit, pomelo, mantores (Cypriot type of tangerine), bananas
Nuts / Pulses:
Raisins, walnuts, almonds, chestnuts, lentils, white beans, louvi (black-eyed beans), dried broad beans, louvana (or yellow split pea)
Fish:
Trout, red snapper, octopus, mullet, whitebait
Poultry / Meat:
Turkey, pork, beef, lamb, goat
Traditional Dishes:
Trachana soup, louvana soup (yellow split pea), fasting appetizers (tahini, taramosalata), sweets: bitter orange preserve sweet, Lenten halvas (semolina pudding with nuts and/or raisins), tahini pies, «tzirtzilouthkia» (dough with honey)
