Molokhia Soup Recipe, or the Green Soup, is an amazing Mediterranean dish made by cooking minced Jute leaves in broth.
Molokhia Recipe
There are various ways to prepare Molokhia; today, I will prepare the most famous one, which is the Egyptian way using a homemade chicken broth. My mother shared this easy Molokhia recipe with me, which I love so much, and I am sure you will love it too!
What do I like the most about Molokhia? It is delicious, simple to make and low calorie meal. Just mix the finely minced leaves of the Molokhia plant with chicken or beef broth, then top it with a mix of sauteed garlic and dried coriander.
In countries like Egypt, you can buy fresh Molokhia leaves. To cook them, you must remove the leaves from the stalks, wash them very well and chop them very finely. Some people even leave Molokhia leaves out in the sun to dry.
Where To Buy Molokhia?
It is hard to find fresh Molokhia leaves outside the Middle-Eastern countries. However, you can find frozen Molokhia at Middle-Eastern and Turkish grocers; frozen Molokhia is as good as fresh.
When you buy frozen Molokhia, make sure you buy minced Molokhia leaves, not whole leaves, which will not work in this recipe.
Ingredients
Let's talk about the ingredients you need to make Molokhia:
- Molokhia: I used frozen Molokhia for this recipe.
- Broth: Use any broth of your choice; chicken, meat or rabbit; homemade or store-bought.
- Cooking oil: You can substitute it with butter.
- Garlic: I use lots of minced garlic in this recipe, about 10 cloves.
- Dried coriander: It gives an amazing fragrance to Molokhia.
- Tomato paste: I like to add it to give the Molokhia a bit of sweetness.
Ingredients For Making Homemade Chicken Broth
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 onion, minced
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cardamom pods
How To Make Molokhia Soup?
Making The Broth
One: I will use chicken in making the broth. Wash a whole chicken well, then cut it into 4 pieces.
Two: Fill a large pot with 1.5 litres of water and place it over medium heat and bring it to the boil.
Three: Add the chicken, minced onion, salt, pepper, cardamom, and bay leaves.
Four: Cover the pot with the lid and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked (about 20-25 minutes).
Five: Strain out the chicken, bay leaves and cardamom pods; now you have a delicious homemade chicken broth.
Making The Molokhia
Befre starting, let the Molokhia defrost at room temperature.
Six: In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, then add the minced garlic, stir until it has a golden colour. Add the dry coriander and sauté with the garlic for 30 seconds.
Seven: Add the Molokhia to the simmering stock over medium to low heat, stir, then add the garlic mixture and tomato paste.
Eight: Leave it for a few seconds, then turn off the heat. Never let the Molokhia boil. Once you see bubbles on the sides, it's done. Serve warm.
Expert Tips!
- Adjust the liquid to your taste. I add just 4 cups of chicken broth, which will give it a medium thickness. If you want it a bit thicker, use less broth.
- Try to make your own broth instead of using store-bought stock. The homemade broth will definitely make Molokhia taste better.
- You can use any broth to make Molokhia, such as chicken or meat. For me, I love to make Molokhia with chicken broth.
- I don't add salt to Molokhia because I already added salt in the broth. However, I recommend tasting it and adjusting the seasoning according to your personal preference.
- Adding the tomato paste is optional, and it doesn't affect the colour of Molokhia (it will not make it red), but it gives it a bit of sweetness. You can replace it with 1 teaspoon of sugar if you like.
- It is best not to cover Molokhia while it is hot; let it cool down first, then cover it; otherwise, it may separate from the broth.
My Mother's trick to maintain a fresh, bright green look for the Molokhia is to add ½ teaspoon of baking soda to the broth before using.
Recipe FAQs
You can eat it both ways. If you reheat it, do not let it boil. If it boils, it will separate from the broth and sink to the bottom of the pot.
Yes, you can. To make the soup vegetarian, use vegetable stock instead of beef or chicken stock.
To store it, just put it in a well-sealed container in the fridge. It will last for 3-4 days.
It is better and tastier to eat Molokhia on the same day or the next day. Freezing it will affect its taste and texture badly. So, I don't recommend freezing it.
Serving Suggestions
For me, I usually serve Molokhia with white rice or with some pitta bread. You can also serve it with chicken or meat. Below are some suggestions.
- Creamy mushroom chicken
- Roasted chicken with herbs and butter
- Steak with garlic, butter and rosemary
More Soup Recipes
- Lamb stew recipe
- Pasta e fagioli soup
- Chicken stew with veggies
- Beef and cabbage soup
- Chicken and rice soup
More Mediterranean Recipes
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Molokhia Soup Recipe - Egyptian Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 frozen bag of Molokhia
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 10 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
Instructions
- Let the Molokhia defrost at room temperature. Never let the Molokhia boil. Once you see bubbles on the sides, it's done. Serve warm1 frozen bag of Molokhia
- In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, then add the minced garlic, stir until it has a golden colour. Add the dry coriander and sauté with the garlic for 30 seconds.2 tablespoon oil, 10 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- Add the Molokhia to the simmering stock over medium to low heat, stir, then add the garlic mixture and tomato paste. Leave it for a few seconds, then turn off the heat.4 cups chicken stock, 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- serve warm.
Notes
- Adjust the liquid to your taste. I add just 4 cups of chicken broth, which will give it a medium thickness. If you want it a bit thicker, use less broth.
- Try to make your own broth instead of using store-bought stock. The homemade broth will definitely make this Egyptian soup taste better.
- You can use any broth to make this recipe, such as chicken or meat. For me, I love chicken broth.
- I don't add salt to Molokhia because I already added salt in the broth. However, I recommend tasting it and adjusting the seasoning according to your personal preference.
- You can add ½ teaspoon of baking soda to the Molokhia while cooking. It helps maintain a fresh, bright green look for this dish.
- Adding the tomato paste is optional, and it doesn't affect the colour of Molokhia (it will not make it red), but it gives it a bit of sweetness. You can replace it with 1 teaspoon of sugar if you like.
- It is best not to cover Molokhia while it is hot; let it cool down first, then cover it; otherwise, it may separate from the broth.
KJ says
Lovely recipe, thank you!
Aby says
It is fantastic; this was my first time ever making Molokhia, and it turned out amazing. I served it with white rice and fried chicken. Thanks!
Hana says
Can I use dried Molokhia instead of frozen? Because I can't find frozen anywhere, I think it is out of stock.