Algerian Chicken Chickpea Soup Chorba Recipes

CHORBA HAMRA BEL FRIK (ALGERIAN LAMB, TOMATO, AND FREEKEH SOUP)

Steps:

• Place freekeh in a bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside.
• Combine lamb, onion, pepper, paprika, cinnamon, and salt in a pot. Add oil, 1/2 of the cilantro, 1/2 of the mint, and celery and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and cover with a little water. Bring to a gentle simmer. Add tomato paste, zucchini, and carrot and mix well.
• Set a steamer over the pot and add tomatoes. Cover and steam tomatoes until soft, about 5 minutes. Crush tomatoes using a wooden spoon so pulp drips into the soup. Discard leftover tomato peels. Add potato and enough water to cover. Simmer until potato is soft, about 10 minutes.
• Drain freekeh and add to the soup. Simmer until soft, about 15 minutes. Remove celery stalk. Sprinkle soup with remaining cilantro and mint before serving.

ALGERIAN CHICKEN & CHICKPEA SOUP ( CHORBA / SHORBA)

Steps:

• Place oil in a large pan, add the chicken & fry to seal all over. Add the spices & fry for a minute more.
• Add all the other ingredients except the coriander / cilantro, chickpeas & the lemon juice. Bring to the boil then reduce heat, cover & simmer 1 hour.
• Add the chickpeas to the pan. Take the chicken from the pan & remove all the meat from the bones, shred & put back into the pan. Simmer for a further 20 minutes.
• If the soup is the consistency you like, you can add the coriander / cilantro & lemon juice now. Simmer for 1 minute, re-season if desired & then serve.
• If you feel the soup needs to be a little thicker, you can either reduce it down by cooking further or thicken with plain flour.

SHORBA BAIDHA - ALGERIAN CHICKEN SOUP.

Steps:

• In a large pot gently fry the onion in the olive oil. Add the chicken & the cinnamon stick & fry for 8 minutes, turning the chicken around to seal.
• Add the water & some salt & pepper to taste. Cover & simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes on a medium heat.
• Remove the chicken from the bones & place the chicken back in the pot.
• Add the chickpeas to the pot & simmer for further 10 minutes covered.
• Check the seasoning & adjust if required. Add the rice & cover & cook for 15 minutes.
• Add more water & adjust seasoning or simmer uncovered if the soup is too concentrated or too watery.
• Finally, mix the egg yolk with the lemon juice. Add a few tsp of the soup to the mix & whisk then add the egg mixture to the pot in a thin steam, stirring continuously. Cook for 1 minute then add the parsley & take off the heat.