Trahanas Soup (Τραχανάς) — Greek fermented grain comfort soup

• 160 gsour trahana (dry) (traditional Greek fermented wheat-and-dairy granules)
• 120 gyellow onion (finely chopped)
• 30 mlextra-virgin olive oil (plus 5 ml for finishing)
• 6 ggarlic cloves (2 small cloves, minced)
• 16 gtomato paste (about 1 tbsp)
• 1000 mlwater (hot)
• 10 gvegetable stock cube (about 1 cube, crumbled)
• 1 leafbay leaf
• 1 tspdried oregano
• 0.5 tspblack pepper (freshly ground)
• 60 gfeta cheese (crumbled, for serving)
• 15 mllemon juice (about 1 tbsp, for brightness)
• 2 gfine sea salt (about 1/3 tsp)

Instructions

1. 1

   Warm a medium pot over medium heat and add 30 ml olive oil, then stir in the chopped onion. Cook for 6–8 minutes until the onion turns soft and translucent, stirring often so it sweetens without browning.

2. 2

   Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to caramelize it slightly, which deepens the soup’s color and rounds out the tang of the trahana.

3. 3

   Pour in 1000 ml hot water and whisk in the crumbled stock cube until dissolved. Add the bay leaf, oregano, black pepper, and 2 g salt, then bring the pot to a steady simmer.

4. 4

   Sprinkle the dry trahana into the simmering liquid in a slow stream while whisking continuously. Keep whisking for 1–2 minutes so the granules disperse evenly and do not clump at the bottom.

5. 5

   Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15–18 minutes, stirring every 1–2 minutes as the soup thickens. The texture should become creamy and spoon-coating; if it gets too thick, add 50–100 ml hot water and simmer 2 minutes more.

6. 6

   Turn off the heat and remove the bay leaf, then stir in the lemon juice for a clean, bright finish. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with crumbled feta and a final 5 ml olive oil drizzled across the surface.