Best Shorba Soup Recipes

ALGERIAN CHICKEN & CHICKPEA SOUP ( CHORBA / SHORBA)

Steps:

• Place oil in a large pan, add the chicken & fry to seal all over. Add the spices & fry for a minute more.
• Add all the other ingredients except the coriander / cilantro, chickpeas & the lemon juice. Bring to the boil then reduce heat, cover & simmer 1 hour.
• Add the chickpeas to the pan. Take the chicken from the pan & remove all the meat from the bones, shred & put back into the pan. Simmer for a further 20 minutes.
• If the soup is the consistency you like, you can add the coriander / cilantro & lemon juice now. Simmer for 1 minute, re-season if desired & then serve.
• If you feel the soup needs to be a little thicker, you can either reduce it down by cooking further or thicken with plain flour.

SHORBA BAIDHA - ALGERIAN CHICKEN SOUP.

Steps:

• In a large pot gently fry the onion in the olive oil. Add the chicken & the cinnamon stick & fry for 8 minutes, turning the chicken around to seal.
• Add the water & some salt & pepper to taste. Cover & simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes on a medium heat.
• Remove the chicken from the bones & place the chicken back in the pot.
• Add the chickpeas to the pot & simmer for further 10 minutes covered.
• Check the seasoning & adjust if required. Add the rice & cover & cook for 15 minutes.
• Add more water & adjust seasoning or simmer uncovered if the soup is too concentrated or too watery.
• Finally, mix the egg yolk with the lemon juice. Add a few tsp of the soup to the mix & whisk then add the egg mixture to the pot in a thin steam, stirring continuously. Cook for 1 minute then add the parsley & take off the heat.

YELLOW MUNG DAL SOUP - DAL SHORBA

Steps:

• Note: I used 1/2 tsp of dried thyme and just crumbled it between my fingers. (That's before I realized the recipe actually called for turmeric, not thyme). If you don't like things too hot, slice the pepper in half and seed it and toss in the halves - retrieve them before pureeing/serving. The recipe called for water, but I used vegetable broth, which I think added to the flavor of the soup.
• Wash and rinse the mung dal. The first package I bought was artificially colored - I washed it repeatedly until the water was quite clear, so check your package before buying!
• Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion, sauteing until it becomes translucent. Add the garlic and ginger, stirring, and cook briefly.
• Add the turmeric.
• Add the mung dal and 4 cups of broth or water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. If you are using water, add salt at this point. Also add the chili peppers. Stir from time to time and skim off any foam. Add additional water, as needed. Simmer until the mung dal are quite soft, 30-45 minutes.
• Puree at this point, if desired. If you are using chili halves, remove before pureeing. (The last time I made this I used a ripe jalapeno, and left it in . I did not puree it to the very end, leaving some texture and very pretty red chili flecks in the soup).
• In a small skillet heat the butter until it foams. Add the cumin and stir it in for just a few seconds, then scrape it all into the saucepan. (The last few times I made this, I just sprinkled a little cumin on top, and that worked just as well, less work and fewer dishes to wash!).
• Add the lemon or lime juice and ladle into bowls. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
• This made two servings for me, but will probably make 3 to 4 for others.

SHORBA SOUP

Steps:

• Put chicken, onion, zucchini, potato, celery, carrot, salt, pepper, cinnamon, paprika, tomato paste, oil, chick-peas and 1/2 cup of water in a large pot.
• Cover and saute over low heat for 20 minutes.
• Add the rest of the water, bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Add pasta and chickpeas (if using canned). Cook for 10 minutes.
• Add parsley and mint.
• Serve with lemon slices.

LAMB AND BULGUR SOUP (SHORBA FREEK)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the lamb, onion, garlic, and cinnamon. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook stirring frequently, until meat is browned and onions are almost tender. Pour in water and garbanzo beans, and bring to a boil.
• Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour, skimming the scum from the top occasionally. Meanwhile, pour the tomatoes into a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth.
• When the meat is tender, remove the pieces with a slotted spoon. Remove the fat and bones from the meat, and return it to the pot. Discard the fat and bones. Remove cinnamon sticks. Add the tomato puree and bulgur wheat. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the bulgur is puffed and tender.
• Transfer to a soup tureen, and garnish with parsley and mint before serving.

SHORBA LIBIYA - LIBYAN LAMB & CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large casserole or stock pot. Gently fry the onion for a few minutes, until pale golden & soft.
• Add the lamb, chickpeas, tomato puree, spices & salt, cooking for a few more minutes & stirring well.
• Add the water to the pot, this should cover the mixture - add 1/4 litre more if required. (If adding extra water, remember that you'll need to add a little extra spice & salt to compensate).
• Cover & simmer over a medium heat for approx 45-50 minutes or until the lamb is tender & the soup flavourful. You may add a little extra water again at this point but remember to adjust the seasoning if you do.
• Add the dried mint & the lemon, return to the heat for a further 3-4 minutes then serve.
• Serve each bowl of shorba with a sprig of fresh mint & a lemon wedge on the side.

WONDERFUL IRAQI SHORBA (SOUP) (GLUTEN FREE)

Steps:

• Fry onions in olive oil over medium heat until they are transparent.
• Add pierced whole loomi, carrot and potato dice and cook for a further 7 minutes.
• Add garlic, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and ground cumin.
• Add the tomato, tomato paste, chicken stock & cilantro.
• Cook until vegetables are almost tender, add red lentils and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
• Adjust salt to taste.
• Add broken up vermicelli noodles and cook until done (not mushy).
• Squeeze the lemon into the soup or on individual servings.
• Enjoy!

CURRIED TOMATO LENTIL SOUP (SHORBA ADDIS)

Steps:

• Over medium-high heat, sauté the onion until it is brown. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrot, ginger, garlic, curry powder, and fenugreek, sautéing them for about 1 minute. Add the veggie broth and tomato paste, stirring until the tomato paste is thoroughly combined with the broth. Bring the soup to a simmer. Add the lentils and stir. Once the soup comes back to a simmer, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Cook the soup for 20 minutes. Add the potato and orzo; cook the soup, covered, for 5 more minutes. Making It Simple: Bring the veggie broth and tomato paste to a simmer, making sure the tomato paste is thoroughly combined with the broth. Add the onion, carrot, garlic, ginger, curry, fenugreek, and lentils and proceed with the above recipe as if you had just added the lentils. The Gourmet Touch: This is an Ethiopian soup, so its flavor is best created using berbere-an Ethiopian curry mix. Core Concepts: The key to this soup is timing when you add the ingredients. Lentils require time to cook, while diced potatoes and orzo pasta need only a few minutes; these are best added to a soup during the last few minutes of cooking.

ALMOND SOUP (LOOZ SHORBA)

Steps:

• Start the chicken broth boiling.
• While waiting for that, soften the onions in butter in a small sauce pan.
• Add flour to onion mixture and stir. This makes a kind of paste.
• Once chicken broth is boiling add the onion/flour mix to the boiling broth and stir briskly.
• Let simmer for a few minutes, then add the ground almonds. Let simmer 20 minutes.
• Add the heavy cream, stirring until heated through.
• Add salt and pepper to taste, though I find it doesn't need it.
• Serves about 4.