Something I’ve learned since moving to Chicago is that outside of Detroit, people legitimately don’t know what Coney Island’s are. Don’t get me wrong, we still have diner’s in Chicago and other places you can eat late at night, and even places that are open 24 hours, but none of them have the odd mix of drunk food, chili dogs, breakfast and Greek food that existing at the Coney Island’s where I’m from. This recipe is an ode to one of my favorite things about Coney Island’s, Lemon Rice Soup.
When I was in my year off from college working a serving job and doing a terrible job at saving money to move to Chicago, my best friend Alexa would go out all the time, we even dubbed this tradition “best friend drink night” which is not creative in the slightest but we liked it. all the time. The best part about our tradition wasn’t the drinking at all, but going to hungover breakfast the next day. Our main breakfast spot was a Coney Island called Leo’s which is a chain but has really good breakfast food. The best part though was that Leo’s served Chicken Lemon Rice soup all day. I can honestly say being able to order that soup alongside eggs and hashbrowns saved me on a couple occasions.
The point I’m trying to make is that Lemon Rice Soup is magic and I truly don’t know why I didn’t try to make it before. Traditionally this soup is made with chicken, so I added seared cauliflower to this soup just to give it a little extra texture. The biggest thing I did differently here though was I wanted to make a broth that was truly rich and flavorful. I find often that using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock leaves you losing out on some flavor. So, I punch this one up with miso, dijon mustard and some spices to form something like a bouillon that gets mixed in with the broth.
The one thing that I was unwilling to compromise on there is the egg so this soup is not vegan. The egg gives it the special creaminess that makes Lemon Rice Soup so unique, hearty and comforting and I just couldn’t bring myself to leave it out of the end recipe. The first round of testing I did cut it out completely and it’s still really delicious, it just sacrifices thickness. If you’re uncomfortable adding the eggs directly to the soup, I’d recommend just adding 1/2 cup more rice, as the rice starch breaks down in the soup, it will also add to the creaminess.
This recipe is so hearty and comforting while also having a fresh taste from all the lemon juice, it’s truly incredible and I know you’re going to love it!
Lots of Love,
Jackie
- 2 tbsp high heat vegetable oil (sunflower, avocado, grapeseed)
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 tbsp butter (or more oil)
- 1 onion, minced
- 2 leeks, sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 4 cups veg stock
- 2½ tbsp miso
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 4 cups water
- ½ cup white rice
- ⅔ cups lemons (3-4 lemons)
- 4 egg yolks
- Heat the high heat cooking oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the cauliflower florets and sear until they start to brown. Remove the cauliflower from the pan and set aside.
- Turn the heat down to medium, add in the butter, onions, leeks, and garlic. Saute for 3-5 minutes until the leeks start to soften. Add in the bay leaves, salt and pepper and toss to combine.
- In a medium size bowl, combine 1 cup of the vegetable stock with the miso, dijon, soy sauce, garlic powder and onion powder and whisk until it forms a paste. Add to the pot and stir until all the veggies are coated.
- Add back in the browned cauliflower, the white rice, the rest of the vegetable stock and the water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is soft.
- Remove from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and the egg yolks until combined. Add into the hot soup slowly, stirring constantly. The soup will begin to have an egg drop texture with the egg cooked throughout. Serve topped with red pepper flakes or fresh mint.
