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Algerian · Maghrebi

Chorba frik

Non-vegetarian

شوربة فريك · chorba frik

A rich tomato and lamb soup thickened with cracked green wheat (freekeh), with chickpeas, cilantro and mint. The soup that breaks the fast at Algerian tables during Ramadan.

Chorba frik is an Algerian soup, ready in about 1 hour 30 minutes and made with lamb shoulder and freekeh. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Algerian Chorba Frik with meat
Photo: Slothtysloth / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
15 min
Cook
1 h 15 min
Total
1 h 30 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
388

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Brown the lamb in the oil in a large pot. Add the onion (opens in a new tab) and celery (opens in a new tab) and cook until soft.

    Meat searing in a hot pan
    How it looks · Photo: Skylar Kang on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Stir in the grated tomato (opens in a new tab), tomato paste (opens in a new tab), paprika (opens in a new tab), cinnamon (opens in a new tab), pepper (opens in a new tab), salt and half the cilantro (opens in a new tab) and cook for 5 minutes.

    • 5 min
    • medium heat

  3. Step 3

    Add the water, bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

    • 30 min
    • medium-low heat

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the freekeh (opens in a new tab) and chickpeas (opens in a new tab) and simmer, stirring now and then so it doesn't stick, until the grain is tender and the soup thickened.

    • 30 min
    • low heat

  5. Step 5

    Add the rest of the cilantro (opens in a new tab) and the dried mint (opens in a new tab), and serve with lemon (opens in a new tab) wedges.

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Algeria · Commonly attributedClosely associated with Algeria; similar frik soups are made in eastern Algeria, Tunisia and Libya.Also popular in Tunisia, LibyaMore food from Algeria
    Dish
    Dinner · Soups
    Cooking method
    Simmered, Sautéed
    Taste
    savoury, smoky, herby, aromatic / warmly spiced
    Diet
    Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Carb-conscious · Calorie-conscious
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    One-pot · Freezer-friendly · Make-ahead
    Cook more with
    Lamb shoulder · Onion · Celery · Tomato · Tomato paste · Paprika
    Techniques
    Sautéing · Boiling · Simmering

    Allergens

    • Contains: Wheatfrom freekeh
    • Contains: Glutenfrom freekeh
    • Contains: Celeryfrom celery

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    388 kcal per serving

    Estimated

    1 serving ≈ 510 g · recipe makes 6

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 17%
    • Carbohydrate 30%
    • Fat 53%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy388 kcal76 kcal
    Protein17.1 g3.3 g
    Carbohydrate29.5 g5.8 g
    Net carbohydrate22.9 g4.5 g
    Sugars4.3 g0.9 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre6.6 g1.3 g
    Fat23.6 g4.6 g
    Saturated fat7.7 g1.5 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol40 mg8 mg
    Sodium747 mg146 mg
    Salt equivalent1.9 g0.4 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    534 mg
    Calcium
    82 mg
    Iron
    2.1 mg
    Magnesium
    72 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    56 µg
    Vitamin C
    9 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.1 µg
    Vitamin B12
    1.2 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    —

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: dried mint, lemon.
    • Freekeh: Dry bulgur (FDC 170688) used as a stand-in; freekeh is young durum wheat that is roasted and cracked, with a broadly similar composition to bulgur.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Rub the dried mint between your palms over the pot to release its aroma.

    Common mistakes

    • Not stirring after adding the frik — it sinks and catches on the bottom of the pot.

    Serve with

    • Serve with bourek or brik and dates to break the fast.

    Food safety

    • Simmer stewing beef, goat or lamb until fork-tender; cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate within 2 hours.

    Storage

    • Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.

    Reheating

    • It thickens on standing; reheat with extra water.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2, 4

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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