1,560 easy and fully explained recipes, with +66K photos and 78 videos

This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...

Chorba

Name: Chorba
Prep time: 57 min
Cook time: 1 h 11 min
Total time: 2 h 8 min
Yield: 6 people
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 onion; 2 cloves garlic; 3 carrots; 2 turnips; 300 g cauliflower; 200 g chicken breast; 5 tablespoons olive oil; 30 g spices for couscous; 70 g tomato paste; 1 litre 500 ml water; 150 g tinned (canned) chickpeas; 150 g vermicelli; fresh coriander (cilantro); 1 lemon; salt; pepper

Chorba is a spicy meat and vegetable soup, typical of the Maghreb. This is my own personal version.

163 K 4.5/5 (10 reviews)

2 hours 8 min. difficulté

Easy

8.70 €

6 people

16 Ingredients

Last modified on: May 4^th 2012

For 6 people, you will need:

1 1 onion
2 2 cloves garlic
3 3 carrots
4 2 turnips
5 300 g cauliflower
6 200 g chicken breast
7 5 tablespoons olive oil
8 30 g spices for couscous
9 70 g tomato paste
10 1 litre 500 ml water
11 150 g tinned (canned) chickpeas
12 150 g vermicelli
13 fresh coriander (cilantro)
14 1 lemon
15 salt
16 pepper
Total weight: 3,470 grams

Times for this recipe

Preparation: 60 min.

Cooking: 1 hour 15 min.

All in all: 2 hours 8 min.

When should you start or finish this recipe?

If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time

To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time

Step by step recipe

Stage 1 - ⌛ 10 min.

Prepare 1 onion and chop, leave 2 cloves garlic "en chemise".

Stage 2 - ⌛ 10 min.

Prepare and grate 3 carrots.

Stage 3 - ⌛ 10 min.

Peel and wash 2 turnips, then grate.

Stage 4 - ⌛ 15 min.

Wash 300 g cauliflower and only keep the small florets.

Stage 5 - ⌛ 5 min.

Cut 200 g chicken breast into small dice.

Stage 6 - ⌛ 3 min.

Heat 5 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan and add the chopped onion and garlic clove, salt and pepper.

Cook without colouring.

Stage 7 - ⌛ 2 min.

Add the carrots, turnip and cauliflower. Mix well.

Stage 8 - ⌛ 2 min.

Add the chicken and 30 g spices for couscous*. Mix well.

(* see below).

Stage 9 - ⌛ 3 min.

Cook like this (dry) for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stage 10 - ⌛ 1 hour

Pour in 1 litre 500 ml water, add 70 g tomato paste and mix well.

Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and leave to simmer uncovered for about an hour.

Stage 11 - ⌛ 3 min.

After this, remove the garlic clove and discard, then add 150 g tinned (canned) chickpeas...

Stage 12 - ⌛ 5 min.

...and 150 g vermicelli.

Leave to cook for a further 5 minutes (check the cooking time of the pasta on the paquet).

Check seasoning.

Stage 13

Serve piping hot with a generous squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of chopped fresh coriander.

Remarks

As with any "regional" recipe, please remember that this is only ONE chorba recipe and not THE chorba recipe.

The proportions are for guidance, so do vary them to your own taste.

The diced chicken can be either raw or cooked (as in the photos) and this is a good way to use up leftovers.

If you can't find a ready-made mix of couscous spices, you can make your own from: cumin, coriander (ground), cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and turmeric. Paprika, cloves and caraway are also sometimes used.

And to drink?

An Algerian red wine, one from the Medea region, for example, or any other full-bodied red.

Keeping: A few days in the fridge in a covered container.

Source: Home made.

Nutritional information

	Proteins (gr)	Carbohydrates (gr)	Fats (gr)	Energy value (in k-calories)	Energy value (in k-joules)
Whole recipe	90 RDI=30 %	250 RDI=20 %	100 RDI=10 %	2,200 RDI=110 %	9,210 RDI: 110 %
Per 100 g	2 RDI=1 %	7 RDI=1 %	2 RDI=0 %	60 RDI=3 %	270 RDI: 3 %
Per person	10 RDI=6 %	40 RDI=4 %	20 RDI=2 %	370 RDI=20 %	1,540 RDI: 20 %