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
- 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.
- The more you cook it the smoother the soup and the more flavour it has.
- Cook the halloumi cubes in a non-stick frying pan until golden brown.
- Prepare the croutons by frying or baking them in one tablespoon of olive oil.
- Season the trahanas to taste and serve in a nice traditional soup cup or in a soup plate.
- 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)