Creamy trahana soup with chicken stock
Package vs homemade trahana
Hands down this creamy trahana soup with chicken tastes amazing and even more so because it is made with homemade trahana. You can find the recipe for that here. The recipe can be adapted using trahana from a package but I promise making your own trahana is very easy. And you truly get to appreciate eating this sour soup even more!
There are a lot of international stores that sell imported trahana from Cyprus and Greece. Each brand however I found varies very much as far as the consistency you get in the end, the texture and the taste.
Making the actual soup is quite easy as long as you get the liquid to solid ratio right! If you are using trahana from a packet they would have a recommended recipe on the package. However I found that what they suggest always ends making a very thick soup. And there is nothing wrong with that really, it is just up to the individual’s preference.
Trahana variations
You will hear and see trahana used in soups more often than anything else. But there are several other types of meals that you can include trahana in like a meat stew or a risotto type dish.
To make the actual soup every family likes to makes their own variations. One way our family likes to eat trahana soup is with tomato pieces cooked in it. More commonly though we eat this creamy trahana soup with chicken stock. As the trahana pieces I use are frozen, the creaminess from the yoghurt is still well maintained. Otherwise, when I do use dry trahana I add a bit of milk as it’s cooking.
Herbs and spices used
When my aunty in Cyprus makes fresh trahana pieces she stirs in the mixture a whole bunch of mint tied up and a whole bulb of garlic for the extra flavour. I just tend to add salt because when I make the actual soup I add herbs and spices in the chicken stock.
Accompaniments
To accompany this creamy trahana soup with chicken I have to include two other musts – halloumi pieces and the rusks! The soup just doesn’t feel complete otherwise haha! Same sides are always on the table when I make Avgolemoni (Greek lemon and egg soup) as well.
- 3 L of water
- ½ tbs salt
- 500 g chicken thighs, bone in, see notes
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ¼ tsp peppercorns
- 600 g homemade frozen trahana
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Bring the water a boil in a large pot and then add the salt. Place the thyme, fennels seeds and peppercorns in a spice bag and add that in the water also. Alternatively you can also use an unused stocking which you just tie up.
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Once the water is boiling, add the chicken thighs in. Let the chicken thighs to cook for 40min. Use a slotted spoon to remove any foam that be form on the surface.
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Remove the chicken thighs from the pot as well as the spice bag. You may use a small sieve to pick up any small pieces of bone that may have fallen off.
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After that add the homemade trahana as is frozen. There is no need to defrost or soak beforehand. Bring the pot to a boil and then simmer for 20min.
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While the soup is cooking, use two forks to shred the chicken pieces and remove any bones. Store the chicken in a sealed container to keep warm until the soup is ready.
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Serve warm with some halloumi and dry rusks. Enjoy!
You may choose to use whichever pieces of chicken you prefer. Just be aware that the pieces without the bone in require about 10min or so less.
You can adapt the recipe by preparing the stock and adjusting the volume of water used. Something to consider is that water evaporates as you boil it so you will lose some of its volume in the end.
The day after the soup will thicken even more because of all the gluten. Once you reheat it, it will be loose again.
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