This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
Chorba
Chorba is a spicy meat and vegetable soup, typical of the Maghreb. This is my own personal version.
153 K 4.5/5 (10 reviews)
2 hours 8 min.
Easy
3 people
16 IngredientsLast modified on: May 4th 2012
For 3 people, you will need:
- 1
½ onion - 2
1 garlic clove - 3
2 carrot - 4
1 turnips - 5
150 g cauliflower - 6
100 g chicken breast - 7
2.5 tablespoons olive oil - 8
15 g spices for couscous - 9
35 g tomato paste - 10
750 ml water - 11
75 g tinned (canned) chickpeas - 12
75 g vermicelli - 13
fresh coriander (cilantro) - 14
½ lemon - 15
salt - 16
pepper - Total weight: 1,735 grams
Change measures:
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 1 turnips, then grate.
Stage 4 - 15 min.
Wash 150 g cauliflower and only keep the small florets.
Stage 5 - 5 min.
Cut 100 g chicken breast into small dice.
Stage 6 - 3 min.
Heat 2.5 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 75 g tinned (canned) chickpeas...
Stage 12 - 5 min.
...and 75 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 | 40 RDI=20 % | 120 RDI=10 % | 50 RDI=7 % | 1,100 RDI=60 % | 4,610 RDI: 60 % |
| 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 3 people : 4.35 €
- 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: Sausage and mashed potatoes, Langoustine gratin, Choux pastry (pâte à choux), Pumpkin (or potimarron) soup, Natural leaven, ... See them all 136
Cauliflower
Like these other recipes: Two-cheese vegetable gratin, Cauliflower and purple eggplant with Greek pesto, Roscoff salad, Cauliflower curry, Cauliflower coconut curry, ... See them all 49
Chicken breast
Like these other recipes: Chinese style chicken, Shiro-goma salad, Chicken nems, Beetroot and fried chicken salad, Chilli chicken and spinach gratin, ... See them all 29
Other recipes you may also like
Chocolate muffins
Variation on muffins recipe. In this version each one is filled with a dark chocolate ganache. February 21th 2011320 K4.3 1 hour 15 min.
French custard tart
Custard pie is made with a shortcrust pastry base, and filled with an egg vanilla "custard" mix (prepared beforehand). Filling and pastry cook together in the oven. It's a great classic of the French bakery, found in all good shops. July 13th 2022450 K 234.3 1 hour 10 min.
Purple artichokes braised in white wine
In this recipe, small purple artichokes are trimmed and braised (i.e. simmered gently in a small quantity of liquid) in white wine. June 29th 201480 K4.3 40 min.
Plain cake
This is a classic, loaf-shaped cake, deliberately left plain for you to embellish as you choose. December 30th 201988 K3.7 1 hour 30 min.
Mixed salad stack
A stack ("pressé" in French) can be made of sliced vegetables or other ingredients piled up and pressed in a ring mould to keep them in shape. The ring is removed before serving. This stack consists of tomato, avocado, red onion, hard-boiled egg and anchovy fillets. Serve surrounded with with a drizzle of vinaigrette dressing. November 25th 201571 K5 30 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-08-31)
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.