Molokhia soup is a traditional Egyptian comfort dish made by simmering frozen molokhia leaves in chicken broth, finished with a golden garlic oil topping. This low-calorie soup has been eaten since Ancient Egypt and is best served over rice or crispy pita bread.
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Bring 4 cups of broth to a boil.
Open up your packages of Molokhia leaves as soon as your broth is about to boil. Do not thaw the leaves ahead of time.
Carefully drop each package of frozen molokhia into the boiling broth.
Bring the broth back up to a mild boil and then let it simmer on low. Do not boil hard.
Stir the molokhia every once in a while to get it fully melted, about 15-20 minutes.
While that is cooking, make your white rice and/or toast pita bread in the oven. Set the oven to 325°F and place the bread directly on the rack. After a few minutes, remove when golden brown. Watch closely as it can burn quickly.
Carefully remove the bread from the racks and let cool, then crumble into small bite-sized pieces.
As soon as the molokhia is all melted, let the pot simmer (not boil) for about 5 minutes, then turn off the heat.
In a small sauté pan, heat a tablespoon of vegetable or olive oil on medium heat.
Add 6-8 crushed garlic cloves and sauté, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Do not burn the garlic. Add a pinch of crushed black pepper to the garlic and sauté together.
Once garlic is ready, bring the pan over the pot of molokhia and ladle some of the molokhia over the garlic until it sizzles.
Repeat until all of the garlic is now in the pot of molokhia.
Serve molokhia on its own or over rice and/or toasted pita bread. Add salt to taste. Serve alongside fried or roasted rabbit, chicken, seafood, or spinach pie.
Store leftover molokhia soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on low heat without boiling. Garlic oil topping is best added fresh before serving; store separately if making ahead.
The recipe is designed for frozen molokhia, which should not be thawed ahead of time. Fresh molokhia can be used but may require different cooking time and technique; start by adding to boiling broth and adjust simmering time as needed.
The frozen molokhia takes approximately 15–20 minutes of simmering to fully melt and integrate into the broth, then simmer an additional 5 minutes after melting is complete.
Serve molokhia on its own in a bowl or over white rice and/or crumbled toasted pita bread. It pairs well as a side to fried or roasted rabbit, chicken, seafood, or spinach pie.
Yes, use vegetable broth or vegetable-flavored bouillon cubes instead of chicken broth. The garlic topping and pita or rice sides remain the same.
Heat oil on medium (not high) and stir the garlic frequently while sautéing until golden brown. Watch closely and remove from heat immediately once golden to avoid burning.
