Widow’s Soup (Soppa Tal-armla)
This soup is said to have acquired its name due to the ease with which its simple ingredients could be found; even a widow of basic or little means could procure them. As a broad rule, only white and green vegetables are included. I like to make the soup without tomato paste as I think the flavour of the vegetables comes through better, especially when you use a nice homemade vegetable stock. The addition of ġbejniet cheese and eggs turn the soup into a sustaining meal.
Ingredients 17
1 onion, large, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 kohlrabi, small, peeled, diced into 2 cm (¾ in) pieces
1 stalk celery, large, finely diced
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
1 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated purée), optional
1⁄2 cauliflower, medium, cut into small florets
500 g potatoes, peeled, diced into 3 cm (1¼ in) pieces
2 bay leaves
1 l vegetable stock
150 g broad bean (fava bean), podded
1 zucchini (courgette), medium, cut into 4 cm (1½ in) chunks
salt and pepper
4 eggs
To Serve
4 ġbejniet cheeselets, fresh
flat-leaf parsley (italian), roughly chopped, to serve
crusty bread, to serve
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Method 5
In a large saucepan, sauté the , , and in the over a low–medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring often.
Now add the and and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 10 minutes.
Stir in the (if using), then add the , , and . Top up with water if necessary to cover the vegetables. Simmer with a lid on for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Crack the directly into the top of the soup to poach. Cook with the lid on for a few minutes until the eggs are set.
Ladle the soup into 4 bowls with an in each one. Add a (or piece of ricotta) to each bowl, to melt and crumble into the soup. Scatter with the parsley and drizzle with . Serve with crusty bread.
