Egyptian Kolkas, or Swiss chard and taro stew, is a winter superfood and a Coptic Epiphany food tradition. This velvety green soup, featuring tender chunks of buttery taro, is infused with the irresistible aroma of fried garlic and toasted coriander. 

Growing up, Kolkas was an essential part of our Coptic Epiphany Feast—a velvety taro and Swiss chard soup that filled our home with its comforting aroma. Adding a touch of humor to the tradition was the playful folklore tied to it: “Eli yenam men gheir ma yakol Kolkas yeshah men ghier rass,” which translates to, “Those who skip Kolkas at night will wake up beheaded!” While it was clearly a lighthearted warning, it ensured no one dared pass up a bowl of this delicious dish. The rhyme between Kolkas (taro) and rass (head) in Arabic gives the joke its punch, playfully suggesting that skipping this traditional soup might leave you be-doun rass (without a head) the next day.

The association between Epiphany and Shorbet Kolkas (Swiss chard and taro soup) is rooted in a fascinating analogy. Taro, or Kolkas (derived from the Latin Colocasia esculenta), has a rough, thick, and unappealing exterior that conceals a pristine, white flesh within. This transformation mirrors the spiritual symbolism of Epiphany, a celebration of enlightenment, purification, and renewal. Just as the taro’s exterior is shed to reveal its purity, Epiphany signifies the shedding of sin and embracing a cleansed soul through baptism.

Egyptian Kolkas at a Glance 

• Cuisine: Egyptian.
• Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop.
• Key Flavor: Earthy taro, vibrant Swiss chard, and the warm, garlicky aroma of toasted coriander.
• Skill Level: Intermediate.

Why You Will Love This Egyptian Kolkas Recipe 

• Unique Egyptian Flavor: Experience the authentic taste of Egypt with a perfect blend of earthy taro, vibrant Swiss chard, and the aromatic duo of garlic and toasted coriander.
• Festive Dish: Celebrate tradition by recreating a dish deeply rooted in Coptic Epiphany festivities, bringing a piece of Egypt’s heritage to your table.
• Comforting: Relish the cozy warmth of a soup and buttery taro that evokes cherished family memories and the joy of shared home-cooked meals.
• Feeding a Crowd: Perfect for gatherings, Kolkas is a hearty and communal dish that encourages connection and celebration over a shared table.
• Superfood: Kolkas meal is a great source of fiber and offers a variety of significant health benefits, such as improved blood sugar management and gut and heart health.

What is Egyptian Kolkas

Egyptian Kolkas is a symphony of textures and flavors that comfort the soul. The soup itself is velvety and lush, thanks to the finely blended Swiss chard and a touch of creamy taro starch. The taro pieces, cooked to perfection, offer a melt-in-your-mouth tenderness with a subtle buttery undertone. The flavors are elevated by the garlicky base infused with toasted coriander, which lends a warm, nutty aroma that dances with the earthiness of the greens. Every spoonful is a perfect balance of creamy, herbaceous, and garlicky notes, leaving a lingering warmth that feels both nourishing and satisfying.

Ingredients of Egyptian Kolkas 

Kolkas (Taro)

Swiss Chard

Chopped Parsley

Coriander, a main spice in Koshari

Garlic

Ghee

Dill (optional)

Broth

• Taro Root: The star of the dish, with its creamy, buttery texture and earthy flavor.
• Swiss Chard: Adds vibrant color and a nutrient-rich, slightly sweet, and earthy taste to the soup.
• Garlic: Infuses the dish with its bold, aromatic essence, essential to Egyptian cuisine.
• Coriander Seeds: Toasted and ground for a nutty, warm, and citrusy aroma that defines Kolkas.
• Vegetable, chicken, or meat broth: Forms the flavorful base that brings all the ingredients together.
• Salt and Pepper: Enhances the natural flavors and balances the dish perfectly.
• Lemon: Adds a bright, zesty kick that complements the richness of the soup, balancing the flavors beautifully.

How to Cook Egyptian Kolkas 

1. Prep the Taro

   

   Avoid washing whole Taro.

   

   Slice the Taro into 1/2 inch slices

   

   Dice each slice into cubes

   

   Soak diced taro in iced water overnight in the fridge

Never wash the taro before peeling and slicing it, as the water will further embolden the sliminess, and it would be impossible to cease it properly to cut it.

For a firmer grip, place a wet towel under the cutting board and use a sharp knife and gloved hands to cut it. First, cut off the end to create a base and anchor for the taro. Then, peel the skin in strips like you do with a watermelon. Start by removing the two ends of the Taro (see the photo below) and then peel away the skin in horizontal stripes. Slice the taro into thick 2” disks and then dice each disk into 1/2” X 1/2 ” cubes.

The best way to rid the taro of its sliminess is to soak the taro cubes in iced water overnight in the fridge. Then rinse the next day, under running tap water, before you add it to the simmering Swiss chard soup.

Watch this step-by-step video on How to Dice Taro.

2. Make the Beef Broth 

You can skip this step altogether if you are using a good quality of store-bought (preferably) organic broth. To make the beef broth, add the ghee to a hot pan, toss in the whole spices, and toast them in the hot fat for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Sear in the hot ghee, the garlic, and quartered onions, followed by the meat cubes; keep flipping the beef cubes on all sides until they have a nice golden crust. Add 2 liters of boiling water. Crank up the heat and let the broth vigorously boil for 5 minutes and then lower the heat and let the meat cook and the broth reduce for 90 minutes. When the meat becomes fork-tender, run the broth through a fine mesh sieve and discard the spices and collapsed vegetables. Set the meat aside and use the strained clear broth in the next step.

3. Cook the Swiss Chard-Greens Mixture to Perfection

Blend the stock and the green leaves in the blender.

Squeeze the liquid out.

On medium heat, cook the greens in the sizzling butter and the crushed garlic.

Add the crushed coriander once the greens start to darken in garlic.

To cook the greens, first blend the Swiss chard, fresh cilantro, and dill (optional) with 1 cup of broth, run the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, add the green liquid to the broth, and let it simmer. Add the taro cubes to the simmering soup.

To cook the solids. In a frying pan, add the ghee (or a mixture of butter and oil) over low heat. Once it sizzles, add the crushed garlic, crushed coriander, and the green solids and cook for 2-3 minutes, until it’s fragrant. Add the garlic, greens’ solids, and coriander to the Kolkas and adjust the seasoning. When the diced taro becomes soft and fork-tender, turn off the heat.

What to Serve Kolkas With 

Kolkas is best served with these rice dishes:

• Ruz Bel Sha’riya (Egyptian Vermicelli Rice)
• Egyptian Fatta (Festive Meat Rice Dish)
• Ruz Bel Khalta (Egyptian Bejeweled Rice)

How to Make the Best Egyptian Kolkas Recipe  

To achieve the velvety texture, wafting aroma, and denting memory of Egyptian Kolkas, heed some subtle yet powerful key steps to take this Egyptian dish to the next level:

1. Good Quality Broth

For the broth, I personally prefer to use homemade beef broth. Alternatively, you can either use homemade or low-sodium store-bought vegetables. For what it is worth, chicken broth is my least favorite broth to use in this dish, as it alters the flavors and doesn’t marry well with many of this dish’s ingredients.

2. Fresh Greens Cooked to Perfection

To cook the greens, first blend the Swiss chard, fresh cilantro, and dill (optional) with 1 cup of broth, run the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, add the green liquid to the rest of the broth, and let it simmer. Add the taro cubes to the simmering soup.

Now, cook the solids. In a frying pan, add the ghee (or a mixture of butter and oil) over low heat. Once it sizzles, add the crushed garlic, crushed coriander, and the green solids and cook for 2-3 minutes, until it’s fragrant. Add this garlic, greens’ solids, and coriander to the taro soup, and adjust the seasoning. When the diced taro becomes soft and fork-tender, turn off the heat.

3. Slime-Free Taro Cubes 

Taro is notorious for being too slimy and hard to clean, cut, or eat enjoyably, yet you will learn in this post how to best handle this unusual produce.

Possible Variations & Substitutions 

Fresh versus Frozen Taro: To find fresh Taro, check the Asian market in your neighborhood. Sometimes, it carries an identical taro to the Egyptian one. Yet, if you can’t find any, then head to the Middle Eastern grocery stores and grab a bag of frozen okra.

Frozen okra

Different Types of Broth: If you prefer a vegan version of Taro soup, then use vegetable broth. Also, chicken broth is another alternative to meat broth.

Bouillon Cubes Versus Homemade Broth: Making meat broth from scratch hands you plenty of control over the flavors that go in, yet the market is teeming with organic, low sodium, and good quality bouillon cubes as well that you can possibly swap in.

In the case of using vegetable stock as a base for this soup, it becomes a full-fledged vegetarian dish with a high nutritious value.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Can I use Frozen Taro, and what to do with the tiny greens’ bag that comes with it?

Yes, you can use frozen taro. However, frozen okra has a slightly different texture when cooked in broth compared to the fresh one. It is close, but it is not the same. If you crush two cubes of okra cooked in the same broth, one is of frozen origin, and the latter made of fresh taro, you will find that the first collapses into strings, while the second becomes like a flattened cube of butter at room temperature. Mind you that the greens’ bag that comes in the frozen package is probably good for nothing- it is too little greens to make a rich Kolkas broth. Instead, use fresh Swiss chard alone or mixed with some baby spinach to make a rich, velvety Kolkas soup (instructions in the recipe below).

Q2: What is the best way to clean Taro and chop it? 

Taro is so slimy, so never wash it, as water will increase its sliminess. Instead, hold the taro vegetable with a towel and use a sharp knife to remove the top end to create a steady base to slice and dice the taro. Once diced, add the taro to a bowl filled with iced water and keep it in the fridge overnight. The next day, rinse the taro thoroughly with tap water and then proceed with the recipe.

Q3. Can I use chicken broth or vegetable broth instead of meat broth?

Yes, you can. However, I believe that vegetable broth works better in this recipe compared with the chicken recipe.

Q4. What is Taklia?

Taklia is an old Egyptian cooking technique where minced garlic and ground coriander are stirred in sizzling ghee (or a mixture of butter and oil) until the mixture becomes fragrant, and then it’s added to a simmering soup of stew. In addition to Shorbet Kolkas, this technique is used to amp up the flavor of the iconic soup Molokhia. Watch how to make Taklia here. 

More Epiphany Feast’s Recipes 

• Egyptian Koronb (Rolled Cabbage Leaves)
• Egyptian Fatta (Festive Rice-Meat Dish)
• Warak Enab (Rolled Grape Leaves) 

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Egyptian Kolkas Recipe

Egyptian Kolkas Recipe (Taro-Swiss Chard Stew/Soup): قلقاس

Nermine Mansour

Shorbet Kolkas, Egypt’s Swiss chard and taro soup, is a winter superfood and a Coptic Epiphany food tradition. This velvety green soup, featuring tender chunks of buttery taro, is infused with the irresistible aroma of garlic and toasted coriander. 

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Prep Time 52 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 22 minutes mins

Course dinner, lunch

Servings 6 people

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Ingredients

  

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For Kolkas Recipe

• ▢ 2 medium taro, diced into 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch
• ▢ 4 sprigs chard and/or spinach
• ▢ 2 sprigs fresh cilantro, only the leaves
• ▢ 1 1/2 liters broth , vegetable or beef broth, (recipe below)
• ▢ Juice of 1 lime or lemon
• ▢ Taklia, recipe below
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

The Beef Broth

• ▢ 500 grams of cubed eye round or top round
• ▢ 2 tablespoons ghee or 1 tablespoon ghee + 1 tablespoon oil
• ▢ 1 cinnamon stick
• ▢ 4 bay leaves
• ▢ 2 mastic resin
• ▢ 5 cardamom pods
• ▢ 10 whole peppercorn
• ▢ 1 quartered medium onion
• ▢ 3-5 garlic cloves
• ▢ 5 allspice berries
• ▢ 2 liters boiling water

Taklia

• ▢ 2 tablespoons ghee
• ▢ 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• ▢ 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt

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Instructions

 

• Peel the Taro: Don't wash the taro root, or it will be too slimy to handle. With gloved hands and a sharp knife, peel the taro horizontally, then slice it in 1-inch thickness, dice the slices, and then soak them in the fridge overnight or no less than 5 hours to get rid of its sliminess.
• Make the beef broth: Add the ghee to a hot pan, toss in the whole spices, and toast them in the hot fat for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Sear in the hot ghee, the garlic, and quartered onions, followed by the meat cubes. Keep flipping the meat cubes on all sides until they have a nice golden crust. Add 2 liters of boiling water. Crank up the heat and let the broth vigorously boil for 5 minutes and then lower the heat and let the meat cook and the broth reduce for 90 minutes. When the meat becomes fork-tender, run the broth through a fine mesh sieve and discard the spices and collapsed vegetables. Set the meat aside and use the filtered broth in the next step.
• Cook the Taro: Heat the broth in a heavy-bottom pan. When it starts simmering, add the diced taro and the juice of 1/2 lemon or 1/2 lime. Let the taro cook in the simmering soup on medium-low until it is fork-tender. In the meantime, prepare the greens and make the Taklia.
• Prepare the greens: Remove the stems, and keep the leaves of the Swiss chard and fresh cilantro. In a blender, blend the greens' leaves with 1/2 cup of broth. Run the blended greens through a fine mesh sieve, add the green extract liquid to the remaining simmering broth, and keep the solids to cook with the Taklia.
• Prepare the Taklia:  Heat the ghee in a frying pan over low heat, add the greens' solids, cook until the solids become fragrant, add the crushed coriander and minced garlic, and stir for one minute. Once the Taklia becomes fragrant and the garlic is crispy and has an orange-hued color. Toss the Taklia immediately into the simmering taro and broth. Taste and adjust the seasoning of the soup.
• Serve: This soup is best served hot, along with vermicelli rice and lemon wedges.

Nermine's Notes

• Don't wash the taro before cubing it, as the water makes the skin too slimy to grab and peel away.
• To sharpen the taste of the soup, it is possible to add a cube of beef or vegetable bouillon.
• Instead of making the beef broth from scratch, you can use a good quality of organic and low sodium beef bouillon and it will work just fine.
•  You can create an easy vegan version of this soup by using vegetable oil instead of butter and vegetable broth instead of beef bone broth.

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Keyword kolkas, soups, stews, taro