Chorba
شوربة
Tomato-lamb soup with chickpeas or vermicelli — Algerian (and Maghrebi) iftar bowl, sour and spiced.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: شوربة.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 1 hr 5 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- Mild
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Chorba is a Maghrebi soup: lamb or chicken, tomato, chickpeas or broken vermicelli, coriander, mint, and a sour finish of lemon. Algerian chorba frik uses cracked green wheat. This home pot uses chickpeas and a handful of vermicelli so it is doable from a supermarket. It should be fragrant, not a bland tomato broth. Brown lamb or chicken, then add tomato, onion, chickpeas or a handful of broken vermicelli, coriander, mint, and enough water or stock to make a soup. Algerian chorba frik uses cracked green wheat; this home pot uses chickpeas and vermicelli so a supermarket can do it. Finish with lemon so it is fragrant and sour, not a bland tomato broth. Herbs go in late. Taste for salt after the lemon.
Ingredients
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Brown lamb in oil. Soften onion, celery and garlic. Add tomato, cumin, paprika, salt and water. Simmer 35 minutes.
40 minStep 2
Add chickpeas and vermicelli. Cook until the pasta is tender, 8 minutes.
10 minStep 3
Coriander, mint, lemon. The bowl should smell green and sour as well as meaty.
3 min
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 10 October.
Substitutions
Lamb → Chicken thighs
Lighter chorba. Same tomato and herbs.
Tips
- Frik (cracked green wheat) instead of vermicelli is the Algerian chorba frik if you find a bag.
- A pinch of cayenne is a house heat.
History & culture
Ramadan iftar across Algeria and neighbours. Every house has a frik-or-vermicelli opinion. Ramadan iftar across Algeria and neighbours, also a winter lunch. Houses split on frik versus vermicelli and on how much chilli. It is soup. Bread on the side. A weekday pot without frik is still chorba if the spices and the sour finish are there.
Ottoman and Andalusi soup habits in a Maghrebi pot. The name just means soup; the spices make it chorba. Ottoman and Andalusi soup habits in a Maghrebi pot. The word chorba just means soup; the mint, coriander, tomato and sour finish make this one. Frik is the older grain move. Vermicelli is the pantry adaptation. You are making a spiced meat-and-tomato soup. Name the starch you used.
Regional variation
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Chorba take?
1 hr 5 min all in — 15 min prep, 50 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 6 bowls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
Mild.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Dutch oven.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1½ tsp.
What can I use instead?
Lamb → Chicken thighs. Lighter chorba. Same tomato and herbs.
Any tips from this recipe?
Frik (cracked green wheat) instead of vermicelli is the Algerian chorba frik if you find a bag. A pinch of cayenne is a house heat.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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