Chorba
Chorba is a spicy meat and vegetable soup, typical of the Maghreb. This is my own personal version.
164 K 4.5/5 (10 reviews)
2 hours 8 min.
Easy
8.70 €
6 people
16 IngredientsLast modified on: May 4th 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.
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.
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.
Cook without colouring.
Stage 7 - ⌛ 2 min.
Add the carrots, turnip and cauliflower. Mix well.
Stage 8 - ⌛ 2 min.
Stage 9 - ⌛ 3 min.
Cook like this (dry) for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stage 10 - ⌛ 1 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.
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.
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 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 6 people : 8.70 €
- Per person : 1.45 €
Change currency:
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Water
Like these other recipes: Quick courgette soup with cheese, Lemon and lime custard tart, Mint and chocolate cream, Ali Baba bread, How to seal a terrine or casserole dish, ... See them all 141
Cauliflower
Like these other recipes: Creamy risotto with vegetables , Cauliflower and chickpea purée, Breton coleslaw, Cauliflower and purple eggplant with Greek pesto, Cauliflower tabbouleh, ... See them all 52
Chicken breast
Like these other recipes: Chicken "cantina", Tex-Mex chicken burger, Paté en croute (terrine in a pie crust), Shiro-goma salad, Thai-style Chicken with Cashew Nuts, ... See them all 31
Other recipes you may also like
French croissants
In this famous and highly technical recipe from a piece of yeast-based flaky dough we are going to cut and shape ("roll") croissants. June 26th 2019658 K 24.4 2 hours 35 min.
Chocolate rolls (petits pains)
Here is a recipe for "real" chocolate petits pains, i.e. with a milk bread dough (not croissants dough) and with a stick of chocolate inside. October 30th 2021459 K4.6 5 hours 30 min.
Pear and lime meringue pie
A layer of light lime cream and caramelized pears in a crisp pastry case, topped with Italian meringue, which is browned under the grill or with a flame. February 21th 2011269 K 23.8 2 hours 40 min.
Mexican ceviche
Ceviche is typical of South American cuisine, made with avocados, tomatoes and fish fillet cured in lime juice. This is a personal version of Mexican-style ceviche. October 13th 2010393 K 15 3 hours 9 min.
Poached eggs
Poached eggs are cooked, without the shell, in barely simmering (nearly boiling) water. White should be firm and yolk soft, that's the difficulty. This recipe teaches you how to succeed with three important points. January 8th 2013335 K5 2 hours 40 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2026-04-19)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.