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Easter Magritsa: The Greek Midnight Soup That Breaks the Lenten Fast

There is one soup in Greek cuisine that belongs to a single night of the year. Not Easter Sunday — the night before. Holy Saturday, just after midnight, when the Resurrection has been announced and the candles are still lit and everyone is walking home through the dark streets holding their flame.

That soup is magiritsa. And if you've never had it, you've never understood what it means to break a fast.

What Is Magiritsa?

Magiritsa is a lamb offal soup — traditionally made with the liver, lungs, heart, and intestines of the Easter lamb, slow-cooked with spring onions, dill, and finished with avgolemono (egg-lemon sauce). It is rich, warming, deeply savory, and unmistakably Greek.

In modern kitchens, many families use lamb shoulder or neck instead of offal — the flavor is gentler, the texture more approachable, but the soul of the dish remains the same. What doesn't change: the dill, the avgolemono, and the olive oil that starts everything.

Why the Olive Oil Matters

Magiritsa begins with olive oil and spring onions softened slowly in a wide pot. This is not a step to rush. The onions must become translucent and sweet, and the oil must be good enough to carry that sweetness into the broth. Use Sparta Gourmet Premiere EVOO — cold-pressed Koroneiki from Laconia, with the grassy, peppery finish that makes the base of this soup sing.

Magiritsa Recipe — Serves 6

Ingredients

• 800g lamb shoulder or neck, cut into small pieces
• 6 spring onions, finely sliced (white and green parts)
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 80ml Sparta Gourmet Premiere EVOO
• 1.5L good chicken or lamb stock
• Large bunch of fresh dill, finely chopped
• Salt and white pepper to taste
• For the avgolemono: 3 eggs + juice of 2 lemons

Method

1. Warm the EVOO in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and spring onions. Cook gently for 10–12 minutes until completely soft and translucent.
2. Add the lamb pieces and brown lightly on all sides, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 45–50 minutes until the lamb is very tender.
4. Stir in most of the dill (reserve some for serving). Season generously with salt and white pepper.
5. Avgolemono: Whisk the eggs in a bowl until frothy. Whisk in the lemon juice. Slowly ladle 2–3 cups of hot broth into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper. Pour the tempered mixture back into the pot. Stir gently — do not boil again.
6. Serve immediately in deep bowls, topped with reserved fresh dill and a drizzle of EVOO.

When to Serve It

Traditionally: midnight on Holy Saturday, the moment the fast breaks. Practically: any cold spring evening when you want something that feels like it was made with intention. The soup keeps well — reheat gently without boiling to preserve the avgolemono.

Christos Anesti. The fast is over. Eat.