A Cretan Easter soup of lamb offal and foraged spring greens.
Choose the wild greens of your choice from the wide variety of Greek nature and prepare this fragrant magiritsa.

Magiritsa was never a traditional Easter dish in Crete. However, it was adopted over the years because it fitted in perfectly with the Cretan philosophy of Easter cuisine, which is that lamb should almost always be cooked with spring greens and vegetables. An incredible collection of wild greens from the Cretan land: wild lettuce, wild artichoke leaves, galatsides (also known as pikralides), cabbage parapoulia which in Crete are called tsimoulia, tsochous (zochous). Wild lettuce can be hard to find, but the other greens are often gathered in the countryside or sold by farmers market vendors and greengrocers who forage or cultivate such plants.

If wild lettuce is unavailable, simply increase the amounts of regular lettuce, tsóchi, and artichoke leaves. This vibrant collection of Cretan wild greens gives magiritsa its unique, deeply aromatic flavor.

Preperation: 1 hour preparation
Cooking: 2 hours and 15 minutes cooking
Total: 3 hours and 15 minutes
Serves: 6 – 8

Ingredients for “Magiritsa”
    • 1 lamb liver, weighing 1.200-1.300 g., cleaned
    • 1 lamb intestine, well washed, finely chopped
    • 3/4 glass of olive oil
    • 1 large dried onion, finely chopped
    • 1 big or 2 smaller lettuces, shredded
    • 300 g zοchi (wild greens), peeled and chopped
    • 2 handfuls tender artichoke leaves (those closest to the head of the artichoke), chopped
    • 1 handful of parapoulia (wild greens), chopped
    • 1 handful galatsides (wild greens), chopped
    • 2-3 spring onions, chopped
    • Bunch fresh dill, chopped
    • 70 g short‑grain white rice (glacé or Carolina)
    • Salt, freshly ground pepper
    • For avgolemono (egg-lemon sauce)
      • 2 eggs
      • Juice of 1 ½ lemons

       

Cooking Procedure
  1. Fill a large pot with plenty of water and bring it to a rolling boil. Add the lamb offal and parboil for 5–7 minutes.
  2. Drain it, let it cool and chop it finely.
  3. Heat the olive oil in the empty pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 1–2 minutes, just until it softens.
  4. Stir in the diced offal and the finely chopped intestine. Cook for about 15 minutes.
  5. Pour in hot water until the ingredients are barely covered. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat.
  6. Half‑cover the pot and simmer for 40 minutes, adding a little hot water if the level drops below the meat.
  7. Add the lettuce, sow‑thistle, artichoke leaves, dandelion greens, and cabbage shoots (or any greens you have). Simmer for another 40minutes, adding more hot water if the soup thickens too much.
  8. Add the spring onions, dill, and rice. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 15–20 minutes, until the rice is tender.
  9. Remove the pot from the heat and keep the magiritsa warm until serving.
Avgolemono (egg-lemon sauce)
  1. Whisk the eggs in a bowl until they thicken slightly and become pale.
  2.  Keep whisking while you pour in the lemon juice in a slow, steady stream.
  3. Still whisking, add a ladleful of hot soup, then another, until the egg mixture is warm.
  4. Pour the egg lemon mixture back into the pot, swirl the pot gently to spread it, and warm over very low heat for 1–2 minutes without stirring.
  5. Remove from the heat and serve the magiritsa right away.

Traditional Cretan Recipe: Researched and documented by Panayiotis Magganas
Photo: Effie Paroutsa for Gastronomos