Food & drink
6 Maltese soups to warm your soul this winter
Warm and comforting, soup is perfect for wintry months and springtime days.

Rebecca Anastasi

It may not always look sexy, but the healthy qualities of a good bowl of soup are hard to beat – whatever the season! Traditional Maltese recipes focus on making the most of the boons of this arid land, with key ingredients such as broad beans, cabbage and carrots taking a starring role. So, get back to basics and add a spring to your step with these luscious meals.

1. Minestra

One of the oldest local soup recipes on the islands, minestra was also previously referred to as the poor man’s meal, and has formed part of the culinary experience of many a Maltese child. It has much in common with its Italian counterpart, consisting of all the veggies you can find – such as cauliflower, cabbage, pumpkin, carrots and potatoes – cooked together with rice, barley or pasta. Its hearty and extremely filling. Add some grated dried cheeselet (ġbejna niexfa) for a truly authentic taste. 

2. Kawlata

The kawlata is very similar to minestra – just add pork or sausage and let the mixture simmer for a long time on low heat. Rice or barley is also added towards the end as with the vegetarian version, to create a one-pot meal in which you get your seven-a-day, with some added carbs and protein. An essential ingredient is local celery karfus, known as lovage, which adds a surprising burst of flavour.

3. Soppa ta’ l-armla

Soppa ta’ l-armla (widow’s soup) is another vegetable-packed soup, and a meal in a bowl. As tradition has it, the soup derives its name from the story of a widow who depended wholly on her husband’s income for buying food stock. When her husband died and she found herself penniless, she had to rely on the generosity of people in her locality. Street vendors would give her some vegetables, which she would make into a soup together with a poached egg or two and some fresh cheeselets. To this day, no soppa ta’ l-armla is complete without these white clouds of egg and cheese. 

4. Kusksu bil-ful

The filling soup known as kusksu bil-ful (small pasta beads with broad beans) is also seasonal, requiring the eponymous ful (broad beans) and local peas to make it complete. Usually cooked during Lent, it is meat-free – the base consists of onions, potatoes, tomato paste, lots of broad beans, peas, cauliflower and small pasta balls – and also consists of a poached egg or cheeselet sitting proudly on top. Make sure you’re hungry – you’re sure to want seconds!

5. Aljotta

This speciality – a fish soup similar to the French bouillabaisse – may be one of the most recognised of Maltese soups since it is ubiquitous in traditional restaurants. The meal is rooted in the time of the Knights of Malta, and is made using small fish or the heads of many fish, together with the backbone and tail. The base consists of garlic and onion, and lots of herbs such as mint, marjoram and basil. A slice of lemon and some rice is added towards the end of cooking, making this a very light yet nourishing meal. For a truly Maltese experience, head down to Marsaxlokk on a Sunday and buy your fish from one of the market sellers, cooking it for lunch. 

6. Brodu

There is literally no end to the many pleasures of the brodu. A heart-warming broth – usually made from simmering a tough-cut of meat on a low flame for a minimum of four hours with some onions, carrots and marrows – this has to up there with the most delicately yet intensely flavoured Japanese kaiseki miso soups or haute French cuisine. Requiring love and patience, this meal is a symbol of a bygone era, when the Maltese had more time and dedication to invest in gathering the family around the dinner table. Tortellini or small pasta beads are usually added to the clear soup. Chicken broth – substituting stuffed chicken for meat – or broth with stuffed marrows, featuring scooped out marrows filled with beef, port or chicken, are also incredibly popular. 

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Which of these will you be stewing tonight?

11th January 2025


Rebecca Anastasi
Written by
Rebecca Anastasi
Rebecca has dedicated her career to writing and filmmaking, and is committed to telling stories from this little rock in the Mediterranean.

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