Chef Dimitra
Aegean Island Kakavia (Κακαβιά)
Aegean kakavia is the fisherman’s soup named for the pot itself: small rockfish, potato, onion, lemon, and enough olive oil to turn a poor catch rich.
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Cypriot Trahanas me Halloumi (Τραχανάς με Χαλλούμι)
Created by
Cyprus gives trahanas its sour milk bite and halloumi its place in the pot: a thick winter soup, salty at the edges, brightened with lemon.
Soups & Stews
Greek
Weeknight
Comfort Food
One Pot
10 min
Active Time
35 min cook•45 min total
Yield4 servings
Trahanas me Halloumi belongs to Cyprus: sour cracked-wheat trahanas cooked down into a thick soup, then finished with cubes of halloumi that soften in the heat. It isn't the loose mainland trahana soup I grew up seeing in northern kitchens. The region is the dish's surname.
The sourness is what makes it itself. Cypriot trahanas is made with fermented sheep or goat milk and wheat, dried hard for keeping, then brought back to life in the pot. Soak it briefly before simmering and it opens evenly, turning the soup creamy instead of grainy. That's the whole trick.
Use water if you want the older, plain kitchen version. Use light chicken stock if you want a fuller bowl. Either way, the halloumi goes in at the end, not at the start, because it should soften and season the soup without turning tough. A squeeze of lemon wakes everything up. Good olive oil, and patience.
Cypriot trahanas is traditionally made by cooking cracked wheat with soured sheep or goat milk, shaping it, and drying it in the summer sun so milk could be carried into the winter kitchen. The pairing with halloumi is distinctly Cypriot, joining two preserved dairy foods from the island in one pot. Halloumi received EU PDO registration in 2021, but this soup long predates the paperwork.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
Cypriot sour trahanas (τραχανάς)
Quantity
250g
broken into small pieces
chicken stock or water
Quantity
1.5L
small onion
Quantity
1
peeled and left whole
bay leaf
Quantity
1
halloumi (χαλλούμι)
Quantity
200g
cut into 1.5cm cubes
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
1 tbsp
plus more to finish
lemon juice
Quantity
1 tbsp
plus wedges to serve
fine sea salt
Quantity
1/2 tsp
plus more only if needed
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
1/2 tsp
dried mint (optional)
Quantity
1 tsp
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Cypriot sour trahanas (τραχανάς)broken into small pieces | 250g |
| chicken stock or water | 1.5L |
| small onionpeeled and left whole | 1 |
| bay leaf | 1 |
| halloumi (χαλλούμι)cut into 1.5cm cubes | 200g |
| extra virgin olive oilplus more to finish | 1 tbsp |
| lemon juiceplus wedges to serve | 1 tbsp |
| fine sea saltplus more only if needed | 1/2 tsp |
| freshly ground black pepper | 1/2 tsp |
| dried mint (optional) | 1 tsp |
Equipment Needed
- •heavy-bottomed pot, 3L
- •wooden spoon
Instructions
- 1
Soak the trahanas
Put the broken trahanas in a bowl and cover it with 500ml of the stock or water for 20 minutes. This short soak is the step that decides the texture: the sour wheat softens evenly, so the soup turns creamy without hard bits at the center.
- 2
Start the pot
Tip the soaked trahanas and its soaking liquid into a heavy pot. Add the remaining 1L stock or water, the whole onion, bay leaf, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bring it to a gentle boil, then lower the heat until it murmurs.
- 3
Simmer until creamy
Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon, especially across the bottom. The grains should swell and soften, and the soup should thicken enough to coat the spoon. If it becomes too thick before the trahanas is tender, add hot water by the ladle.
- 4
Add the halloumi
Remove the onion and bay leaf. Drop in the halloumi cubes and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, just until the cheese softens and salts the soup. Don't boil it hard now. Halloumi can take heat, yes, but this soup wants it tender, not rubbery.
- 5
Finish the bowls
Stir in the lemon juice, taste, and add salt only if the halloumi hasn't done enough. Ladle into warm bowls and finish with a thin thread of olive oil, black pepper, and dried mint if you use it. Serve lemon wedges beside the bowl.
Chef Tips
- •Buy Cypriot sour trahanas if you can. Mainland sweet trahanas makes a different soup, softer and milkier, without the clean sour edge this dish depends on.
- •Salt carefully. Halloumi varies wildly, so start modestly and correct at the end, after the cheese has sat in the soup for a few minutes.
- •The soup thickens as it stands. Loosen leftovers with hot water or stock, little by little, and warm them gently so the halloumi stays tender.
Advance Preparation
- •Break the trahanas into small pieces up to a day ahead and keep it covered at room temperature.
- •The soup is best cooked just before serving, but leftovers keep chilled for 2 days and reheat well with extra hot water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 445g)
Calories
410 calories
Total Fat
16 g
Saturated Fat
9 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
6 g
Cholesterol
45 mg
Sodium
1760 mg
Total Carbohydrates
46 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Sugars
3 g
Protein
23 g
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