Chicken Soup with Leeks and Lemon

  • 2 quarts chicken or turkey stock (preferably homemade)
  • 1 lb. leeks (white and light green parts only, cleaned and sliced thin)
  • 2/3 cup #3 coarse bulgur
  • 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
  • Fresh juice 2 (6 to 8 tbsp.) lemons (strained, to taste)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Chopped fresh parsley or dill (for garnish)
  1. Combine the stock and leeks, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add bulgur and continue to simmer until the grain is cooked through, 15 to 30 minutes. Taste and adjust salt.
  2. Beat together the eggs and lemon juice until frothy in a medium bowl.
  3. Just before serving, making sure that the broth isn’t boiling, gradually add 2 cups to the egg and lemon mixture while beating vigorously with a whisk to prevent the eggs from curdling. Turn off the heat under the soup, pour the egg-lemon mixture into the soup, stir well and serve, adding a bit of pepper to each bowl and garnishing with chopped fresh parsley or dill.
  4. Advance prep: You can make this soup through the first step several hours before serving, but the bulgur will continue to absorb liquid; if you do make it ahead, use 1/2 cup instead of 2/3 cup.

* Recipe courtesy of Martha Rose Shulman