Egyptian Spinach Soup Food

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.***.

EGYPTIAN SPINACH SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and saute the onion until soft.
• Add the turmeric and cook a further minute to let the spice warm through.
• Add the stock, scallions, rice, salt and pepper.
• Simmer gently for approximately 15 minutes until the rice is cooked.
• Do not overcook.
• Cut the spinach into chiffonade, add to pan and cook for another five minutes.
• To serve hot: Beat yogurt and garlic into the soup, and reheat gently so the yogurt does not curdle.
• To serve cold: Allow soup to cool, add yogurt and garlic and puree.
• NOTE: 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Madras curry powder can be substituted for the turmeric, depending on how fragrant you want your soup to be.

EGYPTIAN SPINACH PIE WITH HAZELNUT DUKKAH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the hazelnut dukkah: Toast the hazelnuts in the oven for 12 minutes. Let cool. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a saute pan over medium heat, about 1 minute.
• Grind the coriander, cumin and hazelnuts in a spice grinder. Mix with the sesame seeds.
• For the spinach pie: In a large skillet, saute the garlic and shallots in the butter over medium heat until softened. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add the dill, nutmeg and some salt and pepper. Let cool slightly, then stir in the Cheddar and mozzarella.
• Lay one sheet of puff pastry in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread with the spinach stuffing. Lay the other sheet on top, pinch the edges closed, and cut into six pieces. Sprinkle with dukkah and brush the edges with egg wash. Set the baking dish on a baking sheet and bake until the pie is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle with the sumac and serve.

EGYPTIAN STYLE SPINACH (SABANEK)

Steps:

• Wash spinach well and cut into small sized strips. I usually take a few leaves, and slice together into strips, leave the stem, not problem. (This does not have to perfect, you just want to get them into longer, smaller strips.) Set aside.
• Boil stew meat in water with the two sliced onion and two bouillon cubes. Cook until tender approximately 2 hours.
• Strain out meat and pour broth into a large bowl.
• In that same pot used for cooking meat, add chopped onion, garlic and butter and sauté until soft.
• Add tomato paste, all spices, and stir around until well coated.
• Add pureed tomatoes, ½ cup water and approximately 2-3 cups of broth. (You can add or decrease broth, depending on how thick you'd like it to be, check while cooking and add more or less broth. End result should be thick, but watery enough to be like a thick sauce -- hope that makes sense.).
• Bring to a boil, add spinach and simmer for 20- 30 minutes on low heat.
• Serve in bowls next to plates of rice and browned fideo noodles or with pita bread for scooping.

EGYPTIAN LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Place 3 cups water, lentils, tomato, carrot, onion, garlic, and chicken bouillon in a stockpot over medium heat; cook until vegetables and lentils are softened, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.
• Blend vegetable and lentil mixture with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir 1 cup water, cumin, sea salt, pepper, and coriander into soup; heat over medium heat until warmed.

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.

EGYPTIAN RED LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Add the first 5 ingredients to a large pot; cover and bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or until the lentils and veggies are tender.
• Take pot from stove burner and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, add the oil; warm over low heat until the oil is hot but not smoking.
• Add in the cumin, turmeric, and salt; cook and stir constantly for for 2-3 minutes or until the cumin has released its fragrance (be careful not to scorch the spices).
• Set spice mixture aside for 1 minute to cool.
• Stir spice mixture into the lentil mixture; add cilantro, stir to combine.
• You can puree the soup, in batches, in a blender OR you can use an immersion blender and blend to desired texture (I like to leave it a little chunky).
• Add in lemon juice; stir to combine.
• Rewarm soup in soup pot; season if needed with salt/pepper.