Brodu tat-tagieg (chicken soup) is just what I need when the weather is a little on the cold side. A family favourite of ours.
Spring has been cool to say the least this year in London and I know it is cold in other parts of the world including Sydney where I originally was from. Even Malta has been on the coolish side this Spring! This Maltese chicken broth is a great Spring or any time of the year choice when you need some warmth.
This traditional soup that we have often is a simple soup. Basically its all about the chicken and we use a whole one in this soup. If you don’t have a whole chicken in your fridge and have other chicken pieces then that should be fine too but preferably they should have some skin and bones. The few vegetables that are used in this soup are meant to be subtle added extras. Nothing too overpowering or anything that is, is used minimally. And as per usual tomato paste is added. We also add a little pasta in our chicken broth but rice is also commonly used. I used rice in mine this time. Lastly eggs are slowly added in. I remember my mother adding eggs to soup all the time. When the beaten eggs are added into the soup they are meant to dissolve into the broth. All these little things make our soup uniquely Maltese.
- 1 onion finely diced
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 carrots chopped
- 3 celery sticks chopped
- 1 large potato diced
- 1 whole chicken (with the extra livers and giblets if you can get them)
- Liquid and two chicken stock cubes
- Handful of rice or small pasta
- Small bunch of parsley
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- Olive oil for frying
- Lemon for serving
- Fry the onion for a few minutes in a large soup pot.
- Add in the garlic, bay leaves and tomato paste and fry quickly.
- Add in all the other vegetables and fry for a further five minutes.
- Add in the chicken and enough liquid to just cover the chicken.
- Sprinkle in the stock cubes, add in some salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour.
- When there is fifteen minutes remaining add in your pasta or rice and parsley.
- Just before serving mix in the eggs.
- You can remove the meat off the bones at this point.
- Serve the soup in bowls with a wedge of lemon and further seasoning if required.