Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
A warming Algerian soup of lamb, tomatoes, chickpeas and vegetables, thickened with nutty freekeh and fragrant with cinnamon, coriander and mint.
Chorba hamra bel frik is the soup many Algerian families break their fast with during Ramadan. Lamb, tomatoes, chickpeas and vegetables simmer slowly with freekeh, which lends a nutty, smoky chew, and a generous handful of coriander and mint goes in at the end. It is filling, warming and the kind of thing that tastes even better the next day.
Jump to recipe
Prep 20 min
Cook 60 min
Total 80 min
Medium
Scale:
- 1 cup Freekeh
- 12 ounces Lamb
- 1 finely chopped Onion
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- To taste Salt
- 3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- 1 bunch Cilantro
- 1 bunch Mint
- 1 Celery
- 14 oz jar Chickpeas
- 4 cups Water
- 1 Diced Zucchini
- 1 Diced Carrots
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 3 Medium Tomato
- 1 Diced Potatoes
Preparation
- Tip the freekeh into a small bowl, cover with cold water, and leave it to soak.
- Put the lamb, onion, black pepper, paprika, cinnamon and salt into a pot, then stir in the oil, half the cilantro, half the mint and the celery stalk. Simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas, pour in just enough water to cover, and bring back to a simmer, then add the zucchini, carrot and tomato paste.
- Set a steamer over the pot and add the tomatoes. Cover and steam until soft, about 5 minutes, then crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon so the pulp drips down into the soup. Discard the leftover skins.
- Add the potato with just enough water to cover and simmer until soft, about 10 minutes.
- Drain the freekeh, add it to the soup, and simmer until soft, about 15 minutes. Lift out and discard the celery stalk.
- Scatter over the remaining cilantro and mint before serving.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Cook the lamb gently with the onion and spices first so the broth builds a proper savoury depth before any water goes in.
- Steaming the whole tomatoes and then crushing them straight into the pot gives the broth a smooth, sweet body.
- Hold the freekeh back until the last 15 minutes so it keeps some bite rather than turning to mush.
- Stir through plenty of fresh coriander and mint right at the end for a fragrant lift.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is young green wheat that has been roasted, which gives it a nutty, slightly smoky taste and a chewy texture. Bulgur or barley will stand in if you can't find it.
Yes, and the flavour deepens overnight. The freekeh keeps drinking up liquid, so you may need to loosen the soup with a splash of water when you reheat it.
Leave out the lamb, use vegetable stock, and bump up the chickpeas and vegetables to keep it substantial.
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