Chorba
Chorba is a spicy meat and vegetable soup, typical of the Maghreb. This is my own personal version.
146 K 4.5/5 (10 reviews)
2 hours 8 min.
Easy
12 people
16 IngredientsLast modified on: May 4th 2012
For 12 people, you will need:
- 1
2 onions - 2
4 cloves garlic - 3
6 carrots - 4
4 turnips - 5
600 g cauliflower - 6
400 g chicken breast - 7
10 tablespoons olive oil - 8
60 g spices for couscous - 9
140 g tomato paste - 10
3 litres water - 11
300 g tinned (canned) chickpeas - 12
300 g vermicelli - 13
fresh coriander (cilantro) - 14
2 lemons - 15
salt - 16
pepper - Total weight: 6,940 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 4 turnips, then grate.
Stage 4 - 15 min.
Wash 600 g cauliflower and only keep the small florets.
Stage 5 - 5 min.
Cut 400 g chicken breast into small dice.
Stage 6 - 3 min.
Heat 10 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 300 g tinned (canned) chickpeas...
Stage 12 - 5 min.
...and 300 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 | 180 RDI=70 % | 490 RDI=50 % | 190 RDI=30 % | 4,400 RDI=220 % | 18,430 RDI: 220 % |
| 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 12 people : £14.55
- Per person : £1.25
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
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Cauliflower
Like these other recipes: Auvergne gratin, Cauliflower and chickpea salad, Quartet of brassicas with cream , Duet of creamed cauliflower and cabbage , Cauliflower and purple eggplant with Greek pesto, ... See them all 49
Chicken breast
Like these other recipes: Chicken breasts in a potato crust, Shiro-goma salad, Stuffed pumpkin gratin, Chinese Soup, Warm chicken salad, ... See them all 29
Tinned (canned) chickpeas
Like these other recipes: Green hummus, Chickpea salad, Lambé salad, Hummus, Cauliflower and chickpea salad, ... See them all 10
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