Khobiza Green Goddess Soup (Mallow Leaf Recipe)

Khobiza is a Middle Eastern green goddess soup made from a leafy vegetable called mallow. It's very similar to mulukhiyah, but with less rice and more soup. I cannot begin to tell you how delicious this nutrient-packed soup is. Maybe it's the fried garlic or leafy greens infused with cilantro all mixed into a homemade flavorful chicken broth. If you don't have access to the leafy green called mallow (khobiza), you can substitute equal parts swiss chard and baby spinach.

I first tried khobiza from my mother-in-law, Mama Mattaya, about a week ago. We've made it twice since. Not only does it taste good, but I feel good after eating it.

What Is Khobiza?

Khobiza is a green goddess soup made from leafy greens and a homemade broth. Fried garlic and cooked rice is mixed into the soup making this nutrient-packed soup filling and delicious.

This green goddess soup looks ugly but tastes delicious. It's a great meal to batch cook and reheat in the microwave.

Ingredients You'll Need

• Khobiza (mallow): Khobiza is the Arabic word for this leafy green, and in English, it's called mallow. This leafy green might be very difficult to find in the US. If you can't get your hands on leafy mallow, you can substitute half baby spinach greens and half swiss chard leaves in lieu of mallow leaves.
• Cilantro: Use fresh cilantro for this recipe.
• Swiss chard: This green leaf has a lot of added health benefits for this green goddess soup.
• Cooked rice: Use cooked rice if possible.
• Garlic: I recommend fresh garlic for this recipe. The garlic can be mashed, minced with a knife, or pressed in a garlic press.
• Broth: I prefer to use homemade chicken broth, however, store-bought chicken broth works as well. You can also use homemade duck broth. If you would like to make this recipe vegan, you can use vegetable stock.
• Ground coriander
• Olive oil: I recommend using olive oil, however, butter or ghee are suitable as well.
• Salt and pepper to taste

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Tips and Tricks

1. Remove the leaves from the mallow (khobiza) plant. Make sure all of the stems have been removed.
2. Wash the khobiza, cilantro, and swiss chard really well. Fill a large bowl or the sink with water to properly wash the greens. You might need to wash and drain the greens multiple times.
3. Use a homemade broth if possible. I prefer my homemade chicken broth. The whole chicken from making the chicken broth can be eaten alongside this recipe.
4. Cook the khobiza, swiss chard, and cilantro together in a large pot with water. Then, drain the greens prior to blending in a food processor.
5. Blend the cilantro, swiss chard, and khobiza using a food processor. I don't recommend using a blender in order to get the chunky texture of the soup.
6. Fry the garlic in olive oil until it reaches a golden brown color. Add the ground coriander in the last minute of frying.
7. Add the fried garlic to the green goddess soup at the very end.
8. Cook the rice prior. The rice takes a longer time to cook than the green goddess soup, so the rice needs to be prepared ahead of time. I use leftover rice from the night before.
9. If you can't find fresh mallow leaf, substitute equal parts swiss chard and baby spinach for khobiza (mallow). I guess this green goddess soup is not really khobiza without khobiza, but it will still taste great.

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Freezer Hack

If you've checked out any of my other recipes up on the blog, I really like time-saving hacks. After blending the khobiza, swiss chard, and cilantro in a food processor, store the mixture in a freezer-friendly bag. I batch prepare this recipe and freeze some for a future weeknight meal.

Prepare this recipe in 20 minutes if you have the frozen khobiza greens, some chicken broth (store-bought or homemade), and some cooked rice.

Try Some Other Green Recipes

• Molokhia with Chicken
• Mulukhiyah with Roz
• Kolkas Taro Root Stew

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