Algerian Zucchini Soup Recipes

CHORBA HAMRA BEL FRIK (ALGERIAN LAMB, TOMATO, AND FREEKEH SOUP)

Steps:

• Place freekeh in a bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside.
• Combine lamb, onion, pepper, paprika, cinnamon, and salt in a pot. Add oil, 1/2 of the cilantro, 1/2 of the mint, and celery and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and cover with a little water. Bring to a gentle simmer. Add tomato paste, zucchini, and carrot and mix well.
• Set a steamer over the pot and add tomatoes. Cover and steam tomatoes until soft, about 5 minutes. Crush tomatoes using a wooden spoon so pulp drips into the soup. Discard leftover tomato peels. Add potato and enough water to cover. Simmer until potato is soft, about 10 minutes.
• Drain freekeh and add to the soup. Simmer until soft, about 15 minutes. Remove celery stalk. Sprinkle soup with remaining cilantro and mint before serving.

ALGERIAN LENTIL SOUP (CHORBA ADAS)

Steps:

• Sauté the onion, carrots and celery with a glug of olive oil until soft. Add the garlic, spices and tomatoes and cook for a further 2 minutes.
• Add the lentil, stock, salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 30 mins or until lentils are soft.
• Squeeze on the lemon and add the chopped Corriander.

DOLMA (ALGERIAN STUFFED VEGETABLES)

Steps:

• Peel the zucchini and potatoes.
• Chop the stem off the zucchinis.
• Chop the potatoes and zucchini in half short ways so now you have 4 zucchini pieces, each about 3 inches long and 4 potato pieces, each about 2 inches long.
• Carefully scoop out the inside of each zucchini piece, leaving a wall about 1/4 inch thick around. Discard the scooped out part.
• Carefully scoop out each potato in the same manner but save the scooped out portion.
• Mix together the ground meat, 1 tablespoon of parsley, rice, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.
• Stuff the meat mixture into the potatoes and zucchini, loosely.
• Heat oil in large pan and saute onion and lamb together.
• Add the water and bring to boil over medium high heat.
• Add the chick peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
• Put the stuffed vegetables in the sauce along with the reserved potato pieces. Cook covered for 1/2 hour.
• Remove from heat and add lemon juice and 1 tbsp parsley.

ALGERIAN ZUCCHINI SOUP

Steps:

• Add 1 tablespoon polyunsaturated oil to a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent. Add the remaining oil and the sweet potatoes, water, chicken stock and carrots. Bring to a boil, cover and reduced the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are soft. Allow the soup to cool. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the yoghurt, salt pepper and cinnamon. Serve cool with a tablespoon of sour cream floating in the middle of the bowl.