Chorba frik, a vegetarian recipe from Algeria

Name: Chorba frik
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Algeria
Ingredients: 120 g cracked freekeh; 200 g cooked chickpeas; 3 tomatoes, grated; 1 onion, chopped; 2 celery sticks with their leaves; 1 courgette, diced; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 tsp paprika; 1.5 litres water; 1 bunch fresh coriander; Salt and black pepper; 1 lemon

Method

Rinse the freekeh in a fine sieve under cold water until it runs clear. The smoked grain carries a lot of dust.
Heat the oil in a casserole and sweat the onion with the celery for 6 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, purée, paprika and cinnamon. Cook for 5 minutes so the tomato loses its edge.
Pour in the water, bring to the boil, then add the drained freekeh.
Lower the heat and hold at a shiver for 25 minutes, covered, stirring now and then so the grain does not catch.
Add the chickpeas and courgette and give it another 10 minutes. The soup should stay pourable.
Fish out the cinnamon, stir in the chopped coriander and check the salt. Serve with lemon.

Freekeh is wheat harvested green then burned in the field: the fire takes the straw without reaching the damp grain, which leaves the smoke behind. It keeps drinking liquid as it cools, so loosen the soup with water when you reheat it.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.
Sweat the aromatics
Medium heat, no browning: the onion should turn translucent and sweet, not toasted.

Frequently asked questions

Why rinse the freekeh until the water runs clear?

The grain is burnt in the field and then cracked, so it carries fine ash and dust. Without rinsing, the soup turns cloudy and takes on a sooty taste that smothers the smoky aroma you are after.

What can I use instead of freekeh?

Coarse bulgur cooks in much the same way and gives a similar texture, but without the smokiness that gives this chorba its character. Allow a shorter cooking time and taste as you go so it does not break down.

My chorba has thickened too much. What now?

Freekeh keeps absorbing liquid off the heat, especially after a night in the fridge. Loosen it with hot water or stock as you reheat, then check the salt and add the lemon at the table.

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Chorba frik

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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