Egyptian Green Soup Food

EGYPTIAN GREEN SOUP

Steps:

• Clean and finely chop the molohia leaves (Egyptians usually use a double-handled metal chopper called a makhrata to do this) and set aside.
• Leaving the fat on the chicken, combine it in a large pot with the onion, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of the water.
• Boil the meat until tender, about 20-30 minutes.
• Remove the meat from the stock and set aside.
• Add the molohia to the stock and boil for about 5 minutes.
• Place the butter in a small skillet and briefly fry the garlic and coriander for 1 minute only, without burning.
• Tip this mixture into the molohia and stock while the stock is still boiling.
• Be very careful; it may splatter, but it smells fantastic.
• Serve the soup hot, accompanied by side dishes of the boiled meat, rice, onion-vinegar mix, and pita bread. Allow your guests to make their own selections and combinations.

EASY GREEN VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Put the spring onions, potato and garlic into a large pan. Pour over the vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 mins with a lid on or until the potato is soft enough to mash with the back of a spoon.
• Add the peas and bring back up to a simmer. Scoop out around 4 tbsp of the peas and set aside for the garnish.
• Stir the spinach and yogurt into the pan, then carefully pour the whole mixture into a blender or use a stick blender to blitz it until it's very smooth. Season to taste with black pepper.
• Ladle into bowls, then add some of the reserved cooked peas and scatter over your favourite soft herbs or cress. Serve with crusty bread, if you like.

EGYPTIAN MOLOKHEYA (GREEN SPINACH-LIKE SOUP)

Steps:

• Fill large stock pot with water, bring to a boil, add add sliced onions, carrot and celery. Add 2 chicken bouillon cubes and whole chicken or hen, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Cover and cook until chicken tender approximately 1-2 hours.
• Skim fats from water, strain out vegetables, remove chicken and reserve about 4 cups of the broth in pot.
• While broth is simmering on real low, add bag of molokheya and a teaspoon of ground coriander, salt & pepper and a dash of cumin to the broth. (Easy way to get bag into pot: I've found by just snipping top of plastic bag, then holding over hot pot, and sliding the molokheya into the pot, the steam helps it slide out easy) DO NOT COVER.
• Add the chopped tomato and onion into the pot, just a little, as stated, 1 slice tomato, 1 slice onion, both chopped.
• Preparing the "tasha" (this is what makes the molokheya famous & tasty too): Put 2 tablespoons oil into small frying pan.
• Add crushed garlic, stir until a golden brown, add teaspoon ground coriander and the few smashed coriander seeds, stir until all dry and formed together.
• Drop this into pot of molokheya while hot, you should hear a "tsshhh" sound, if so you did it- congratulations!
• Continue cooking on low heat for approximately 10 minutes, its ready to serve.
• To serve: Brown the chicken in a pan full of melted butter and serve with white steamed rice with lightly fried vermicelli pieces. (I will post recipe for this simple, yet delicious rice).
• Spoon the molokheya into bowls and let your guests spoon onto rice or dip their warm pita breads into their bowls!
• *** Sometimes I prepare a red sauce to spoon into each individual bowl, or serve next to the molokheya bowls- its tangy and a good complement to this dish. Just take 3 slices onions, brown in butter, add two tablespoons of tomato paste, salt & pepper, a dash of cumin, add some red chili sauce (shaata) and water, cook for 20 minutes, tastes should be tangy, not too thick, with a bit of tanginess and heat.***.