Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken Broth
- 1200 g whole chicken, raw, skin-on
- 2000 ml water
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves, dried
- 4 cardamom pods, whole
- 15 g salt
Molokhia Base
- 800 g frozen whole molokhia leaves, thawed, washed, and squeezed completely dry
- 45 g garlic, minced
- 100 g fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 45 ml olive oil
- 5 g ground coriander
- 45 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Serving and Garnish
- 200 g lebanese pita bread, cut into bite-sized squares
- 150 g white onion, finely diced
- 60 ml red wine vinegar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 752 kcal
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbohydrates
- 41 g
- Fat
- 43 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 1344 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 11 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 0 mg
- Potassium
- 1080 mg
- Calcium
- 506 mg
- Iron
- 6.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 99 mg
- Phosphorus
- 58 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 449 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 106 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 56 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 4.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.04 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 13 mcg
- Water
- 360 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a large stockpot, cover the whole chicken with water. Bring to a boil, skim the surface to remove impurities, then add the quartered onion, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cardamom pods, and salt. Reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 74C/165F. Wash hands and surfaces thoroughly after handling the raw chicken to prevent cross-contamination.
Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Spread the Lebanese pita bread squares evenly on a baking sheet. Bake until completely dry and crispy.
In a mixing bowl, combine the finely diced white onion and red wine vinegar. Set aside to marinate at room temperature, allowing the harsh bite of the raw onion to mellow.
Remove the cooked chicken from the stockpot. Strain the rich broth through a fine mesh sieve into a clean container, discarding the boiled aromatics. Once the chicken is cool enough to safely handle, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces and discard the skin and bones.
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add exactly half of the minced garlic and all of the finely chopped fresh cilantro. Sauté constantly until the garlic softens and the mixture is highly fragrant.
Add the thawed, squeezed dry molokhia leaves to the cilantro and garlic base. Fry the leaves over medium heat, stirring frequently. This critical frying step removes the mucilaginous texture. Stir in the ground coriander and the remaining raw minced garlic.
Pour the hot strained chicken broth over the fried molokhia mixture. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer uncovered to meld the earthy flavors.
Stir the shredded chicken pieces and freshly squeezed lemon juice into the simmering soup. Cook briefly just until the chicken is heated through.
To serve, place a handful of the toasted bread squares at the bottom of a wide serving bowl. Ladle the hot molokhia soup and chicken generously over the bread, and top with a spoonful of the marinated onion and vinegar mixture.
Chef's Notes
- Lebanese molokhia distinctly uses whole jute mallow leaves rather than minced ones, yielding a robust, earthy stew rather than a thick, viscous soup.
- Washing and intensely squeezing the thawed leaves until completely dry before frying is the essential technique to preventing a slimy texture in the final dish.
- Reserving half of the minced garlic to add raw along with the ground coriander right before adding the broth provides a sharp, pungent aromatic lift that cooked garlic alone cannot achieve.
- The sharp, acidic onion and red wine vinegar garnish is non-negotiable. It acts as a palate cleanser and perfectly balances the deeply savory, earthy chicken broth.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store the soup, toasted bread, and onion garnish in separate airtight containers to maintain textures.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze the soup and chicken only. Do not freeze the toasted bread or fresh onion garnish.
Troubleshooting
Soup has a slimy or excessively thick, mucilaginous texture
Cause: Molokhia leaves retained too much water or were not fried long enough before the broth was added
Fix: Stir in additional lemon juice; the strong acidity helps break down the mucilage
Prevention: Thoroughly squeeze all excess water from the thawed leaves and fry them completely in oil until their color darkens slightly before adding any liquid
Cultural Context
Molokhia, or Jute Mallow, is an ancient and highly nutritious leafy green consumed across the Middle East and North Africa. The traditional Lebanese preparation is distinguished by its use of whole leaves, an abundant cilantro and garlic flavor base known as taqleya, and a sharp vinegar garnish. It is considered a quintessential comfort food, typically enjoyed at large family gatherings.
