1 bunch Egyptian Spinach, leaves and stems separated
1 Tbsp sunflower oil
4-6 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt, to taste
Ground Black Pepper, to taste
1 lemon, sliced into wedges
Cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)
2 cups cooked rice
Instructions
Heat water and chicken legs and thighs in a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat so the liquid continues to simmer. Simmer for about 1 hour, then remove the chicken pieces from the broth and set aside to cool. Skim the surface of the broth to remove any impurities or excess oil. You should have about 5 cups of broth now. If not, add enough water to get 5 cups total. When the chicken is cooled, pull the cooked chicken off the bone, cut into bite-sized pieces, and set aside.
Add half of the onion, ½ tsp cumin and 1 tsp coriander to the broth and return the soup to a simmer. Cut the tender portions of Egyptian spinach stems into bite-sized pieces and add to broth. Roughly chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces and stir into the hot liquid. Add the chicken pieces and simmer for about 10 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, it’s time to prepare the “tasha.” This is an important part of the soup and is what makes this soup unique and tasty. In a small sauté pan, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the crushed garlic. Stir and cook over medium heat until the garlic is nicely browned and smells toasty. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in ½ tsp ground coriander. Carefully add the tasha to the soup. You should hear a “tsssh” sound when you do so. This means you did it right—congratulations!
Continue to cook the soup for about 10 more minutes. Just before serving taste a spoonful and add salt and pepper as needed.
Serve the hot soup with cooked rice. Some versions of the recipe put the rice in a bowl and ladle the soup on top. In other versions, the rice and soup are served in separate bowls and combined together bite by bite. Either way you choose to do this, it’s important for each diner to garnish the soup with a squeeze of lemon, the remaining diced onion (optional) and cilantro (optional).
Notes
This recipe was written by Chef Andrea and is based on researching different traditional recipes and their variations.
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