Moroccan Vegetable Soup Chorba Recipes

HARIRA (SPICED MOROCCAN VEGETABLE SOUP WITH CHICKPEAS, CILANTRO, AND LEMON)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion, celery, and carrots until the onion turns translucent and begin to brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the turmeric, cumin, harissa or chile flakes, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 cup each of the parsley and cilantro, tomatoes, and the stock or water and bring to a boil. If using the soaked chickpeas, drain them and add to the pot. Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, then add the lentils, another teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper and continue simmering until the chickpeas and lentils are cooked, about 20 minutes more. If using canned chickpeas omit the first 25 minutes of simmering and add with the lentils.
• Whisk the flour, egg, and lemon juice into 2 cups (470 ml) of water. Stir into the soup. Simmer the soup about 5 minutes more and serve, sprinkled with the remaining cilantro and parsley. And don't forget to have some extra harissa in a plate on the side.

HAJAR'S BEST MOROCCAN CHORBA

Steps:

• If you cannot find turnips use kholrabi or other similar firm vegetable, even cabbage in chunks! You can also simply omit it. We use what we have not necessarily what we need here in Morocco. Just do not use rutabegas/swede! Most of we Moroccan home cooks use the 1 teaspoons of good turmeric instead of the saffron but you must use one or the other as this is mainly for color.
• Peel and cut the vegetables into little pieces(except for tomatoes), put them inside a stew pot ,add the meat cut in little pieces plus the vegetables with parsley,crushed onion (grated or very finely minced),oil salt, pepper and saffron. Add 2 ltres of water, put the pot on until boiling.
• Fold the parsley into a bundle/packet and tie with a stem or kitchen string.
• Remove the tomato cores, wash them and plunge them for 30 seconds into boiling water before peeling them, crush the pulp with a fork in a bowl or on a plate, put the tomatoes in the pot and mix. Cover and leave it cook on a medium fire for 60 minutes.
• 10 minutes before serving, throw vermecilli in rain (scatter) , cover 3/4 and leave it to cook. Serve as soon as it is cooked. Pasta is done. Please do not cook your Moroccan dishes with pasta al dente; al just isn't to be found. We think that he left for America! Also, here someone always eats the parsley bundle.

CHORBA FRIK

Steps:

• In a pressure cooker, brown the meat in olive oil.
• Add the garlic, scallions, tomatoes, and celery to meat. Add half the cilantro leaves and tomato paste. Add the chickpeas, stir and sauté over low heat covered for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the spices, salt, bay leaf, mint and hot water. Increase heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium.
• Lock the pressure cooker and cook on medium heat for 1 hour.
• Open the pressure cooker and check the amount of liquid. Add a little boiling water if necessary.
• Add frik into the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes over low to medium heat, stirring regularly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• Turn off the heat and add remaining cilantro.

MOROCCAN VEGETABLE SOUP (CHORBA)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Add onion and turmeric; stir to coat.
• Add meat and cook. stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add broth (or water), tomatoes and their juice, turnips, carrots, celery and saffron.
• Tie parsley and cilantro sprigs together with kitchen string and add to the pot.
• Bring the soup to a boil.
• Cover and reduce to a simmer.
• Cook until the meat is tender, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Stir in zucchini and cook, covered, until soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add pasta and cook until soft, 4 to 10 minutes, depending on the type of pasta.
• Discard the parsley and cilantro sprigs. Season with salt (start with 1 teaspoon if you're using beef broth; add more if you're using water) and pepper.
• Serve sprinkled with parsley and/or cilantro leaves, if desired.