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
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
10.6 oz cauliflower - 6
8.4 oz chicken breast - 7
5 tablespoons olive oil - 8
1.1 oz spices for couscous - 9
2.5 oz tomato paste - 10
3 lb + 4.8 oz water - 11
5.3 oz tinned (canned) chickpeas - 12
5.3 oz vermicelli - 13
fresh coriander (cilantro) - 14
1 lemon - 15
salt - 16
pepper
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 2 turnips, then grate.
Stage 4 - 15 min.
Wash 10.6 oz cauliflower and only keep the small florets.
Stage 5 - 5 min.
Cut 8.4 oz 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 5.3 oz tinned (canned) chickpeas...
Stage 12 - 5 min.
...and 5.3 oz 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: Quince and apple compote, Nougat, Sausage and mashed potatoes, Blackcurrant liqueur, Poitevin twist, ... See them all 136
Cauliflower
Like these other recipes: The strange gratin, How to prepare cauliflower, Breton coleslaw, Parmesan cauliflower cheese, Auvergne gratin, ... See them all 49
Chicken breast
Like these other recipes: Chicken nems, Chinese style chicken, Paella, Escalope cordon bleu, Pan-fried chicken breast on mozzarella, ... See them all 29
Tinned (canned) chickpeas
Like these other recipes: Lambé salad, Lebanese-style chickpea salad, Hummus, Cauliflower and chickpea purée, Mixed vegetable curry, ... See them all 10
Other recipes you may also like
Moussaka
Here is my personal version of this famous recipe from the eastern Mediterranean. It's a kind of gratin, made with layers of aubergines, cooked meat with tomatos and bechamel sauce with cheese. August 1st 2011386 K 14 2 hours 55 min.
Chocolate cream
A very simple recipe with a really chocolatey taste. Cream, milk and chocolate, mixed with egg-yolks and sugar, then cooked in the oven in a bain-marie, like for crème brulée. October 13th 2010271 K4.2 3 hours 6 min.
Blackcurrant, vanilla and lime verrine
Vanilla-lime, confectioner's custard and blackcurrant coulis, topped with a layer of whipped cream (chantilly) and dusted with a little matcha green tea powder. Light and flavoursome. September 12th 2010200 K4.9 1 hour 9 min.
Pancake batter
Here is a pancake batter that is a little more sophisticated than the traditional version. The pancakes will be tastier with a softer texture. February 2nd 2020343 K3.8 15 min.
Yvetot Douillons
This dessert, named after a small town in Normandy, consists of a pear filled with confectioner's custard (French pastry cream), which is wrapped in a pancake and puff pastry, then baked. The "douillon" part of the name comes from a warm coat, the "douillette", of former times. November 26th 201483 K4.3 1 hour 3 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.