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Chorba beida (Algerian white chicken soup)
Chorba beida: the pale Algiers soup of chicken, chickpeas, vermicelli and cinnamon, thickened with egg and lemon
AlgerianUnlike the red chorba of the rest of the country, the 'white' chorba of Algiers has no tomato at all: chicken, onion and a cinnamon stick are cooked gently in butter, simmered with chickpeas and fine vermicelli, then thickened at the end with egg yolks and lemon. It is a classic of Ramadan tables in the capital, and is also cooked for guests at weddings and family gatherings. The soup is silky and pale gold, mild and comforting, with a soft lemony tang. Serve it with bread and a squeeze of extra lemon. Chef's tip: once the egg yolks are in, never let the soup boil; boiling is the common mistake that curdles it into scrambled threads.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb chicken thighs or legs on the boneskin removed
- ⅔ oz butter
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 oniongrated
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 6 ¼ cups water
- 8 ½ oz cooked chickpeasdrained
- 2 ⅞ oz fine vermicellibroken into short pieces
- 2 tbsp lemon juiceplus wedges to serve
- 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsleychopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Melt ⅔ oz butter with 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pot over a medium-low heat. Add 1 ⅓ lb chicken thighs or legs on the bone, 1 onion, 1 cinnamon stick, ½ tsp ground white pepper and 1 ½ tsp salt and stir for 5 minutes without browning, so the soup stays pale.
5 minStep 2: Pour in 6 ¼ cups water, bring to the boil, skim off any foam and simmer partly covered for 35 minutes, until the chicken is tender and reads 165°F at the thickest part next to the bone.
35 minStep 3: Lift out the chicken and the cinnamon stick. Pull the meat off the bones in bite-sized shreds and discard the bones.
Step 4: Add 8 ½ oz cooked chickpeas and 2 ⅞ oz fine vermicelli to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the vermicelli is soft.
8 minStep 5: Return the chicken to the pot and turn the heat to its lowest. In a bowl, whisk 2 egg yolks with 2 tbsp lemon juice, then whisk in two ladles of hot broth, a little at a time.
Step 6: Take the pot off the heat and pour the egg mixture in, stirring all the time. Return to a low heat for 2 minutes, stirring, until the soup thickens slightly and steams; do not let it bubble.
2 minStep 7: Stir in 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and serve straight away with lemon wedges.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 33 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chorba beida (Algerian white chicken soup) take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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