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Kusksu: Maltese Broad Bean & Pasta Soup Recipe
Broad Bean Soup
Maltese kusksu is a comforting, rustic soup that perfectly reflects the simple and nourishing style of traditional Maltese home cooking. Made with broad beans, small pasta, tomato, and olive oil, this hearty dish is finished with eggs gently poached directly in the simmering broth. The result is a thick, satisfying soup that feels both humble and deeply flavorful.
Often associated with the spring season when fresh broad beans are widely available, kusksu has long been a staple in Maltese kitchens. It is the kind of dish that relies on everyday ingredients yet delivers warmth and comfort in every bowl. As the pasta cooks, it thickens the broth slightly, while the soft egg yolks add richness when mixed into the soup.
Served hot with crusty Maltese bread or crunchy galletti crackers, kusksu is typically enjoyed as a filling lunch or a light dinner. Simple, nourishing, and rooted in tradition, it remains one of Malta’s most beloved home-style dishes.
What Is It?
Kusksu is a traditional Maltese soup made with broad beans, small pasta, tomato, onion, and olive oil, finished with eggs that are gently poached directly in the broth. The result is a thick, hearty soup that sits somewhere between a soup and a light stew, making it both comforting and filling.
One of the defining ingredients of kusksu is the small round pasta often called kusksu pasta in Malta. These tiny pasta shapes resemble large couscous grains and give the dish its name, even though the soup itself does not contain North African couscous. As the pasta cooks, it releases starch into the broth, creating the slightly creamy texture that makes the dish so satisfying.
Broad beans are another key component and give the soup its earthy flavor and seasonal character. Traditionally, fresh beans are used in spring when they are widely harvested across Malta and Gozo, although frozen beans are often used outside the season.
The eggs are cracked directly into the simmering soup and poached until the whites are set and the yolks remain soft. When served, the yolk gently mixes into the broth, adding richness and turning the simple soup into a complete meal.
Kusksu is typically served hot with Maltese crusty bread or galletti crackers on the side, which are perfect for dipping into the thick, flavorful broth. It is considered classic Maltese comfort food and is commonly prepared as a hearty lunch or light dinner in Maltese homes.
A Little History
Kusksu is one of Malta’s oldest and most traditional home-cooked dishes, deeply rooted in the island’s agricultural past and Mediterranean influences. The name itself comes from the Arabic word kuskus, reflecting the centuries of cultural exchange that shaped Maltese cuisine. During the Arab rule of Malta between the 9th and 11th centuries, many ingredients and cooking techniques were introduced that remain central to the island’s food culture today. While North African couscous evolved into a dish made from steamed semolina grains, the Maltese version developed in a different direction, eventually becoming the comforting broad bean soup known today as kusksu.
The dish is closely associated with springtime, when fresh broad beans are harvested across Malta and Gozo. For generations, families would cook kusksu during the broad bean season, using simple ingredients that were readily available in rural households: onions, tomato, olive oil, beans, and small pasta. The addition of eggs poached directly in the soup reflects the practical nature of traditional Maltese cooking, where meals were designed to be filling, economical, and nourishing.
Historically, kusksu was considered everyday food rather than a festive dish. It was commonly prepared in family kitchens as a hearty meal that could feed several people with minimal ingredients. Bread or galletti crackers were always served alongside the soup to soak up the broth, turning a simple pot of soup into a satisfying meal.
Today, kusksu remains an important symbol of Maltese culinary identity. While it is still widely cooked at home, it has also found its place on restaurant menus that celebrate traditional island cuisine. Despite Malta’s modern food scene and international influences, this humble soup continues to represent the island’s rustic cooking traditions and its long history of Mediterranean cultural exchange.
What You Need
One of the reasons Maltese kusksu has remained such a beloved home dish is its simplicity. It relies on a handful of everyday ingredients that come together to create a rich, comforting soup. Broad beans give the dish its earthy flavour, small pasta thickens the broth, and softly poached eggs add a satisfying richness that turns the soup into a complete meal
Ingredients
To make this traditional Maltese soup, you will need:
Olive oil
Onion, finely chopped
Tomato paste
Broad beans (fresh in spring or frozen the rest of the year)
Water or stock
Small pasta such as Maltese kusksu pasta or another tiny soup pasta
Eggs
Salt and black pepper
Kitchen Equipment
This is a straightforward one-pot dish that does not require much equipment. Gather the following before you begin:
A large soup pot
A wooden spoon or spatula
A sharp knife
A cutting board
A ladle for serving
With just these simple ingredients and a single pot, you can create a bowl of warm, comforting kusksu that captures the rustic spirit of Maltese home cooking.
The Process
Making Maltese kusksu is a simple, one-pot process that slowly builds flavour from a few humble ingredients. As the soup simmers, the broad beans soften, the pasta thickens the broth, and the eggs gently poach in the rich tomato base. The result is a comforting, hearty soup that feels both rustic and satisfying.
1. Start with the flavour base
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes soft and fragrant. This step creates the savoury base that gives the soup its depth.
2. Cook the tomato paste
Stir in the tomato paste and let it cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Allowing the paste to cook briefly helps deepen its flavour and removes any raw taste, giving the broth a richer character.
3. Add the broad beans and liquid
Add the broad beans to the pot, followed by the water or stock. Stir everything together and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. At this stage the soup begins to take shape, with the beans adding body and the broth developing its classic Maltese flavour.
4. Cook the pasta
Once the soup is simmering, stir in the small pasta. Let it cook for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until tender. Stir occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot. As it cooks, the pasta releases starch that slightly thickens the soup.
5. Poach the eggs
Crack the eggs directly into the simmering soup, spacing them apart so they have room to cook. Let them poach gently for about 4 to 5 minutes, until the whites are set while the yolks remain soft. The eggs add richness and turn the soup into a complete, satisfying meal.
6. Season and finish
Taste the soup and season with salt and black pepper as needed. Give the broth a final gentle stir around the eggs, being careful not to break them.
Ladle the hot kusksu into bowls, making sure each serving includes plenty of beans, pasta, broth, and a poached egg.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Maltese kusksu is one of those simple, comforting dishes that feels deeply rooted in home cooking. It is a humble soup built from pantry basics, broad beans, small pasta, and softly poached eggs, yet the result is rich, warming, and full of character. This is the kind of meal that works beautifully as a light lunch or cozy dinner, especially when served with crusty Maltese bread or a few galletti on the side.
1. Soften the onion
Start by heating the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Once warm, add the onion and let it cook gently for about 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until softened and fragrant. You want the onion to become tender without taking on too much colour, as this creates the sweet, savoury base for the soup.
2. Cook the tomato paste
Stir in the tomato paste and cook it for another 1 to 2 minutes. This short extra step makes a big difference, as it helps deepen the flavour and removes any raw edge from the paste. The mixture should become slightly darker and smell richer.
3. Add the broad beans and liquid
Add the broad beans along with the water or stock, then bring everything to a gentle simmer. At this stage, the soup begins to come together, with the beans adding substance and the broth taking on the classic comforting character that makes kusksu such a beloved Maltese dish.
4. Stir in the pasta
Once the soup is simmering, stir in the pasta. Let it cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until tender. Stir occasionally so the pasta does not stick to the bottom of the pot. As it cooks, the starch from the pasta will lightly thicken the broth, giving the soup its signature hearty texture.
5. Poach the eggs in the soup
Crack the eggs directly into the pot, spacing them apart so each one has room to poach gently in the simmering soup. Let them cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft. This is one of the most traditional and comforting parts of kusksu, as the eggs add richness and make the soup feel like a complete meal.
6. Season and serve
Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle it into bowls while still hot, making sure each serving gets plenty of broth, pasta, broad beans, and a poached egg. Serve with crusty Maltese bread or galletti crackers for the full traditional experience.
Serving
Maltese kusksu is best enjoyed straight away, while the broth is hot and the egg yolks are still soft enough to melt slightly into the soup. A piece of bread on the side is perfect for dipping and soaking up every bit of the flavourful broth.
Kusksu (Maltese Broad Bean & Pasta Soup)
Kusksu is a humble, warming Maltese soup made with fresh broad beans, tiny pasta (kusksu beads or orzo), and poached eggs. It’s one of Malta’s most beloved springtime dishes, traditionally cooked during the broad bean harvest and often served as a one-pot family dinner. Simple to prepare and nourishing, Kusksu is as comforting as it is culturally iconic.
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RateServings: 4 servings
Calories: 417kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil 30 g
- 100 g onion finely chopped
- 30 g tomato paste approx. 1 heaped tbsp
- 200 g fresh or frozen broad beans
- 100 g small pasta kusksu beads or orzo
- 1.2 L water or vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 eggs one per person
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for another 1–2 minutes to deepen the flavour.
- Add broad beans and water or stock. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Stir in pasta and cook for 10–12 minutes, or until tender.
- Crack the eggs directly into the soup, spacing them apart. Poach gently for about 4–5 minutes until the whites are set but yolks still soft.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot with Maltese crusty bread or galletti crackers.
Notes
Substitute fresh kusksu pasta with orzo or fregola if needed.
Some families add cheeselets (ġbejniet) or chopped marrows for extra richness.
You can poach the eggs separately if you prefer a neater presentation.
Nutrition
Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 52.1g | Protein: 23.4g | Fat: 13.7g
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