🇲🇹 Maltese Recipes

Traditional Mediterranean Cuisine

Maltese Soup Recipes: Brodu, Aljotta, Kusksu and More

Choose among Maltese soup recipes for fish, beef broth, broad beans and pasta, vegetables, cheeselets, pork, and cabbage.

Maltese soups range from a clear broth to a bowl thick with vegetables, beans, pasta, cheese, or meat. This collection groups six recipes by their main ingredients and cooking method so that “Maltese soup” does not become one generic recipe.

For the quickest choice, start with what you want at the centre of the bowl. Choose Aljotta for fish, garlic, lemon, and rice; Kusksu for broad beans and pasta; or Minestra for a thick vegetable soup. Choose Brodu or Kawlata when you have time for a longer simmer.

Compare the Soups

SoupMain characterApproximate cooking timeUseful distinction
BroduClear beef and vegetable broth2 hours 30 minutesThe broth can be served before the meat and vegetables.
AljottaFish, garlic, tomato, rice, and lemon35 minutesA fish soup with a lighter, sharper finish.
KusksuBroad beans, tiny pasta, and fresh ġbejna40 minutesThe pasta is kusksu, not couscous grain.
Soppa tal-ArmlaVegetables and fresh cheeselets40 minutesFresh ġbejniet enrich the vegetable soup.
MinestraThick seasonal vegetable soup50 minutesThicker and more vegetable-led than clear brodu.
KawlataPork, cabbage, and vegetables1½–2 hoursA substantial meat-and-vegetable winter soup.

Ingredients Outside Malta

Fresh ġbejniet appear in Kusksu and Soppa tal-Armla. The ġbejniet guide explains fresh, dried, and peppered cheeselets and why they are not direct substitutes for one another. The ingredient guide covers broader shopping and substitution questions.

Use the pasta specified by each recipe. Kusksu pasta consists of tiny beads; rice or another small pasta in Brodu performs a different role. When a precise Maltese ingredient is unavailable, follow the substitution guidance on the individual recipe rather than changing several ingredients at once.

Serving and Storage

Soup can be a first course or the whole meal, depending on the recipe and portion. Serve bread alongside a substantial bowl, or use a smaller serving before a main from the Maltese Sunday lunch collection.

Cool leftovers promptly and follow the storage instructions on the individual recipe. Rice, pasta, meat, fish, and cheese affect storage differently, so one general timetable cannot safely replace the recipe-specific guidance.

Clear broth and fish soup

Brodu is a clear beef-and-vegetable broth that needs a long, gentle simmer. Aljotta is a lighter garlic, tomato, fish, rice, and lemon soup that reaches the table more quickly. Choose by the main ingredient and the time available.

Broad beans, pasta, and cheeselets

Kusksu combines broad beans with tiny pasta and fresh ġbejna. Soppa tal-Armla is a vegetable soup enriched with cheeselets. Both need ingredient planning outside Malta, but they are different dishes rather than interchangeable names.

Thick vegetable and pork soups

Minestra is a thick vegetable soup built around seasonal produce. Kawlata adds pork to cabbage and vegetables for a heavier winter bowl. Read the ingredient lists before choosing between a vegetable-led soup and a meat-based one.

Explore all Maltese recipe collections or browse every recipe.