Mayiritsa Easter soup, μαγειρίτσα in Greek (pronounced mah-yee-REET-sah), is traditionally eaten only once a year to break the fasting of the Great Lent. 

The main Easter meal (on Easter Sunday) has typically been an occasion to slaughter a lamb or goat, and this soup was designed to use the leftover parts so that nothing went to waste.

This soup is prepared on Holy Saturday and eaten after midnight church services, and for those observing Lent, mayiritsa is the first meat dish after a long period of fasting.  The soup is made of lamb innards, plenty of chopped greens and herbs and to be honest, some people love it and it’s very much a cherished and traditional dish, and the others are no so happy!!

Mayiritsa Easter soup, μαγειρίτσα

  • 2 kg Lamb offal and intestines
  • 100 g Vinegar
  • 200 g Olympian extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Large Onion
  • 15 Spring Onions
  • Salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp Sweet paprika
  • 200 g White wine
  • 2 L Chicken stock
  • 2 Large lettuce (finely chopped)
  • 200 g Glazed rice
  • 3 tbsp Parsley
  • 3 tbsp Dill
  • 1 Zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 Lemons juiced
  • 2 Eggs
  • 200 g Strained yoghurt

  1. Prepare the offal. Wash the offal well and boil for 10 minutes in a saucepan with plenty of water and half of the quantity of the vinegar. Drain and set aside to cool. Then cut them into small cubes and set them aside.

  2. Prepare the intestines. Wash the intestines externally with plenty of water. Then fill the intestines with water pushing the water out with your hand to wash away the impurities. Follow the same procedure 2-3 times. Finely chop the intestines and place them in a bowl with the rest of the vinegar.

  3. Prepare the mayeiritsa. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onions and sauté for 6-7 minutes, until they are well softened. Then add the finely chopped offal and intestines, salt, pepper and the paprika and sauté for another 5-6 minutes, until they turn light brown. Pour in the wine and wait for 1-2 minutes for the alcohol to evaporate.

  4. Add the stock and cook at a low temperature for approximately 1 hour, until the intestines and offal are soft enough. Then add the lettuce, mix and cook for 10 minutes.

  5. Mix in the rice, the herbs and cook for another 20-25 minutes, until the rice softens. If necessary, add more stock or water, because it has to be a soup.

  6. Prepare the lemon and egg sauce. Put the lemon juice, the zest, the eggs and the yoghurt in a bowl and mix well with a whisk. Start adding spoonsful of the mayeiritsa stock gradually until the egg mixture acquires the same temperature. Finally, add the egg mixture in the saucepan, mix well and remove the saucepan from the heat.

  7. Serve the mayeiritsa soup warm.