Recipe
Egyptian Jute Leaf & Chicken Soup
Silky Egyptian molokhia soup with tender chicken, garlic butter, coriander and cumin, served with separate rice and a squeeze of lemon for a bright, warming family meal.
Ingredients
Method
15 mins prep45 mins cook60 mins total
Poach the chicken in the stock for 25 minutes until cooked. Lift it out, slice, and keep warm.
Bring the stock back to a gentle simmer. Stir in the molokhia and cumin, then heat for 8 minutes without boiling hard.
Melt the butter in a small pan. Fry the garlic and coriander for 2 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden.
Stir most of the garlic butter into the soup. Cook the rice, then serve it with chicken and molokhia, finishing with the remaining butter and lemon.
Notes
Keep the soup below a hard boil after adding the molokhia to preserve its smooth, silky texture. Frozen chopped jute leaves are a practical substitute for fresh leaves.
About this recipe
Molokhia is an Egyptian soup made with finely chopped jute leaves, chicken stock and a fragrant garlic-and-coriander butter. The leaves give the broth its characteristic silky texture, while cumin adds gentle warmth without hiding the fresh herbal flavour.
Poaching the chicken in the stock keeps it tender and gives the soup a rounded savoury base. Keep the molokhia at a gentle heat rather than a hard boil, then stir through most of the garlic butter just before serving.
Serve the soup with fluffy rice, sliced chicken and the remaining butter spooned over the top. A squeeze of lemon at the table lifts the rich, earthy flavours.
