Egyptian Spinach Soup Recipes

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 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 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.***.