Greek Easter Soup Magiritsa: Lamb, Greens and Avgolemono

Greek Easter soup, or magiritsa, is a Greek lamb soup traditionally made with lamb offal, spring onions, lettuce, herbs, rice, and lemon-egg avgolemono. It is often served after the Easter vigil, though ingredients and textures vary by region and family; this version makes a gently thick, bright soup with practical options if offal is unavailable.

Ingredients

1½ lb (680 g) lamb offal, ideally a mix of liver, heart, and lung, trimmed; ask a butcher to prepare it. Cleaned lamb intestines are traditional in some versions but optional.
10 cups (2.4 L) water, for simmering the offal and making the broth
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
1½ cups (225 g) finely chopped yellow onion
6 scallions (about 90 g), white and green parts thinly sliced
2 romaine hearts (about 400 g), washed and thinly sliced
½ cup (95 g) short- or medium-grain rice, rinsed and drained
½ cup (15 g) chopped fresh dill
¼ cup (15 g) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1½ tsp (9 g) fine salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs (about 150 g without shells), at room temperature if possible
⅓ cup (80 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice, from about 2 lemons

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients. Trim away tough membranes from the offal and cut it into pieces small enough to fit comfortably in a saucepan. Keep raw offal separate from ready-to-eat ingredients and wash your hands, knife, and board after handling it. Chop the onion, scallions, lettuce, dill, and parsley; rinse the rice. If the butcher has included intestines, use only thoroughly cleaned ones. This preparation takes about 35 minutes.
Simmer the offal. Put the offal in a large pot and add the 10 cups of water. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes, then lower the heat until the liquid simmers gently. Partially cover and cook for 50 minutes, skimming any foam that rises during the first few minutes. Check the thickest pieces with a food thermometer: lamb organ meats must reach the USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). If a piece has not reached that temperature, continue simmering and check again. Transfer the cooked pieces to a plate and reserve the broth in the pot.
Chop the cooked meat. When the offal is cool enough to handle, cut it into small, even pieces, about ¼ inch (6 mm). Smaller pieces make the soup easier to eat and distribute the rich flavor throughout the broth. If a piece has a firm membrane or gristly section, trim it away. Set the meat aside while you build the soup.
Soften the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a clean large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and scallions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened but not browned. Add the sliced lettuce and stir for another 3 minutes, until it has wilted. Keep the heat moderate; browning the onion can make the broth taste heavier than the fresh, delicate soup you want.
Add broth, herbs, and rice. Pour the reserved broth into the pot with the vegetables and bring it back to a gentle boil, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, dill, parsley, salt, and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 18 minutes, stirring occasionally so the rice does not settle and stick. The rice should be tender but still hold its shape, and the lettuce should be soft.
Warm the chopped offal. Stir the chopped meat into the soup and simmer for 3 minutes. Taste the broth and adjust the salt and pepper. Take the pot off the heat while you prepare the avgolemono. Have a thermometer ready for the final step so the egg mixture is safely cooked without bringing the soup to a boil.
Make and add the avgolemono. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until blended, then whisk in the lemon juice. Slowly ladle about 1½ cups (360 ml) of hot broth into the eggs, whisking constantly; adding it gradually tempers the eggs and helps prevent curdling. Pour the warmed egg mixture back into the pot in a thin stream while stirring. Set the pot over low heat and stir gently until the soup reaches 160°F (71°C), the USDA FSIS safe minimum for egg dishes. Do not let it boil. Serve as soon as it is hot and silky.

Tips

Ask the butcher what is in the offal mix. Liver gives the soup its distinctive savory character, while heart and lung are milder. Offal can be difficult to find; a practical substitute is 1½ lb (680 g) boneless lamb shoulder cut into small pieces. Simmer it until tender and at least 145°F (63°C), then let whole cuts rest for 3 minutes before cutting. The result is a pleasant lamb-and-greens soup, but it will be milder and will not have magiritsa’s characteristic offal flavor.
Do not rush the egg tempering. Adding hot broth to the eggs slowly is more reliable than pouring the eggs straight into the pot. Whisk continuously as you ladle, and stir as you return the mixture to the soup. If the finished soup is held at a boil, the eggs can separate into small curds.
Keep the rice from overcooking. Start checking it at 15 minutes, since different rice varieties and brands soften at different rates. If you expect leftovers, cook the rice separately and add it to each bowl; rice left in the pot continues absorbing broth as it sits.
Adjust lemon at the end. Lemons vary in size and sharpness. Begin with the listed amount, then add a little more juice at the table if you prefer a tangier bowl. Avoid adding lemon directly to boiling broth, which can make the egg mixture harder to keep smooth.

Serving Suggestions

Serve magiritsa hot in shallow bowls, making sure each portion has a balance of broth, greens, rice, and chopped lamb. A little extra chopped dill or a lemon wedge on the side lets people adjust the aroma and acidity to taste. Crusty country bread is useful for soaking up the broth, and a simple plate of olives, radishes, or sliced cucumber makes a fresh accompaniment without competing with the soup.

Because the soup is rich and substantial, modest portions work well as part of a larger holiday meal. If it is the main course, serve a larger bowl with bread and a crisp green salad dressed simply with olive oil and vinegar. Set out the soup promptly after finishing the egg mixture: avgolemono is at its smoothest when freshly made and hot, rather than left to stand for a long time.

Variations

Regional and household versions of magiritsa are not identical. Some include cleaned lamb intestines, while others use more lettuce, different herbs, or a thicker quantity of rice. Intestines are a traditional ingredient but can be difficult to source and require careful cleaning; leaving them out is a sensible choice, not a reason to skip the soup. If using them, buy them prepared by a butcher and follow the butcher’s cleaning instructions.

For a less intense flavor, use a mix weighted toward heart and lung, with a smaller amount of liver. For a more pronounced liver flavor, increase the liver proportion while keeping the total offal at 1½ lb (680 g). If you cannot obtain offal, lamb shoulder is the closest straightforward meat substitute, though the finished dish is better described as lamb soup with avgolemono than traditional magiritsa.

You can also change the greens slightly. Replace up to half of the romaine with tender spinach or another mild spring green, adding spinach near the end because it wilts quickly. For a heartier texture, increase the rice to ⅔ cup (125 g), but expect a thicker soup and add a little hot water if needed. For a brighter, less rich finish, use the full lemon quantity and serve extra lemon at the table. Keep the core combination of lamb, greens, herbs, and avgolemono if you want the result to remain recognizably magiritsa.

Storage and Reheating

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking in shallow, covered containers. The soup keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. The rice will absorb broth as it chills, so the leftovers may be thicker; stir in a splash of water while reheating. For the best texture, you can also store cooked rice separately from the soup and combine them when serving.

Reheat a portion gently in a saucepan over low to medium-low heat, stirring often, until it reaches 165°F (74°C), the safe temperature for reheated leftovers. Do not let it boil hard, since the egg-lemon sauce may become grainy. If using a microwave, cover the bowl loosely, heat in short intervals, and stir between intervals so the center heats evenly; check that it reaches 165°F (74°C). Freeze cooled soup in airtight containers for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat to 165°F (74°C); the sauce may separate slightly, so stir gently as it warms.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Greek Easter soup called?
It is commonly called magiritsa (also transliterated mageiritsa). It is a Greek Easter soup traditionally served after the Easter vigil and often made with lamb offal, greens, herbs, rice, and an egg-and-lemon sauce called avgolemono. Recipes differ from one household and region to another.

Can I make magiritsa without lamb offal?
Yes. Use the same weight of diced lamb shoulder and cook it until tender and safely cooked. The soup will still have lemon, herbs, rice, and greens, but it will lack the distinctive earthy flavor and traditional character that offal provides. If you can find only liver or heart, use a mix of those rather than omitting lamb entirely.

How do I keep the egg-lemon sauce from curdling?
Whisk the eggs first, add hot broth a little at a time while whisking, then return the tempered mixture gradually to the pot. Stir over low heat and avoid boiling. Use a thermometer to bring the soup to 160°F (71°C) for egg safety; gentle heat and steady stirring help the sauce stay smooth at that temperature.

Can I make this soup ahead?
You can cook the offal and broth a day ahead, cool them promptly, and refrigerate them separately from the chopped vegetables and rice. Reheat the broth and continue with the recipe when ready to serve. For the freshest texture, add the egg-lemon mixture shortly before eating rather than making the finished soup far in advance.

Why did my soup become very thick overnight?
Rice continues to take up liquid as the soup cools, so a thickened texture is normal. Reheat gently with a little water or unsalted broth, stirring until the soup loosens and reaches 165°F (74°C). If you regularly plan for leftovers, cook the rice separately and add it to bowls as needed.

Is magiritsa served only at Easter?
It is strongly associated with Greek Easter, particularly the meal after the Easter vigil, when it traditionally marks the end of the Lenten fast. There is no need to reserve it for that occasion, though the availability of lamb offal and the celebratory context are part of its appeal.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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