Molokhia (Jute Leaf Soup)

Molokhia is the green soup Egyptians crave, made from jute leaves that have been cooked in Egyptian homes for centuries. It is so beloved that a whole family argument can break out over who makes it best, the same way people argue over chili recipes. The soup gets its soul from a sizzled spoonful of garlic and ground coriander called tasha, stirred in at the very end, and it is always served over rice with chicken on the side, with a squeeze of lemon for those who like it bright.

Silky green velvet with a garlic sizzle

The leaves cook down into a slick, velvety soup with a gentle earthy flavor that soaks up everything around it. The tasha, garlic and coriander bloomed in ghee until golden, fills the kitchen with a perfume you will never forget, and each spoonful slides over rice in a way that is almost impossible to describe. Faintly savory, gently slippery in the most pleasant sense, and deeply comforting, molokhia is the dish Egyptians miss most when they travel. Serve it hot, with the chicken on the side and plenty of rice underneath.

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