Why It Works
- Searing the lamb deepens the soup’s flavor.
- Brining the beans in a solution of salt and baking soda prior to cooking produces very tender and creamy cooked beans.
- Adding the freekeh directly to the soup during the last 15 to 18 minutes of cooking, instead of cooking separately, streamlines the recipe.
Ramadan traditions vary across the Arab world, but one remains constant: the almost compulsory soup at the iftar table. The presence of soup is so prevalent and expected that one might mistake it for a religious obligation. For many in the Arab world, breaking fast begins with a glass of water and three dates before moving on to soup and salad, eventually crescendoing into the rest of the iftar meal, the evening meal that marks the end of the daily fast.
In Algeria and Tunisia, this soup is often the rich and hearty chorba frik, Arabic for “freekeh soup.” It features tender lamb or beef, creamy chickpeas, and smoky cracked freekeh—pronounced frik in Tunisian and Algerian dialects. Freekeh is made from young green durum wheat that’s fire-roasted, giving it its signature toasty richness and pleasant chew. Layered with warm and fruity spices like paprika and cinnamon, the cooling flavors of fresh cilantro and dried mint, and subtle chile heat, the soup is deeply satisfying, texturally intriguing, and complex.
While eaten year-round in Algeria and Tunisia, chorba frik appears on the table almost every evening during Ramadan. Although it is typically served as a starter, it’s substantial enough to be eaten as a full meal. Variations of the soup exist from household to household throughout both countries. Some versions use chicken instead of the more common lamb or beef, while others incorporate puréed vegetables like zucchini and potatoes or vary the seasonings. Nowadays many people prepare it in a pressure cooker, but I developed this version to be slowly simmered on the stovetop, so there’s no need for a special cooking appliance.
Serious Eats / Mai Kakish
In my recipe the lamb is first lightly seared, which develops a rich, roasted flavor. Dried chickpeas cook with aromatics and the lamb, becoming creamy at the same rate the meat tenderizes. An optional serrano pepper, left whole, lends a mild kick. While some recipes call for cooking the freekeh separately to ensure it’s tender but still retains a slight chew, I’ve streamlined my recipe by adding the freekeh directly to the soup to simmer for the last 15 to 18 minutes. As the freekeh cooks in the broth, the soup will become noticeably thicker. It should be hearty and stew-like but still liquid enough to count as a soup. If it becomes too thick, just adjust the consistency with additional water as you see fit. If adding water, just make sure to taste again for seasoning, and add more salt if needed.
This soup will serve four as a starter, but because it’s a particularly thick and ample soup, it can make a filling meal for two. Finish the soup with an extra sprinkling of cilantro and a squeeze of bright lemon for a final bright kick of flavor.
The One-Pot North African Soup I Cook on Repeat
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1/2 cup dried chickpeas (3.3 ounces; 95 g) (see notes)
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5 teaspoons (15 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided; for table salt, use half as much by volume or the same weight
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1/4 teaspoon baking soda
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1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
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1 tablespoon (15 ml) ghee
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1 pound (450 g) boneless lamb leg or shoulder, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (see notes)
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1 medium yellow onion (8 ounces; 227 g), finely chopped
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1 tablespoon (15 ml) tomato paste
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1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
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1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
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1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
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1 1/4 teaspoons dried mint
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1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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2 medium tomatoes (8 ounces, 227 g), peeled, and finely chopped
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1/2 cup chopped cilantro (about 1 ounce; 28 g) , plus more to garnish
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1/2 cup cracked freekeh (3 ounces; 85 g), picked over and rinsed
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4 cups (960 ml) water, plus more as needed
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1 serrano pepper (about 15 g), whole
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Lemon wedges, to serve
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In a medium bowl, cover chickpeas with 1 inch of room temperature water. Add 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and baking soda, stirring briefly to combine, then cover loosely and let soak at room temperature at least 8 and up to 12 hours. Drain and rinse before using.
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In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat oil and ghee over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add lamb and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides, about 8 minutes.
Serious Eats / Mai Kakish
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Reduce heat to medium, add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pot as needed, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, coriander, ginger, paprika, mint, cinnamon, and black pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, cilantro, drained chickpeas, water, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, and chile pepper, if using. Bring to a simmer, cover, then lower heat to medium-low and cook, adjusting heat as needed to maintain simmer, until lamb and beans are tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
Serious Eats / Mai Kakish
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Stir in freekeh, bring to a simmer, and cook, covered, until freekeh is tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Soup should be hearty but still brothy enough to qualify as a chunky soup; add additional water to thin if needed. Season with salt to taste.
Serious Eats / Mai Kakish
Serious Eats / Mai Kakish
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Divide soup into individual bowls, sprinkle with more cilantro, and serve with lemon wedges.
Serious Eats / Mai Kakish
Special Equipment
Kitchen scale, large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, fine-mesh strainer
Notes
Although less commonly used in chorba frik, canned chickpeas may be used instead of dried ones. If using canned chickpeas, omit step 1, and substitute with one 15-ounce can drained and rinsed chickpeas. Reduce salt to 2 teaspoons and add the canned chickpeas at the same time as the freekeh.
Beef chuck may be used in place of the lamb in the recipe, following the same steps as written.
Ghee can be purchased from Middle Eastern, Indian, and South Asian grocery stores. It is also increasingly found in many American grocery stores.
Cracked freekeh can be purchased from Middle Eastern grocery stores and ordered online.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The chickpeas and freekeh absorb more and more of the liquid the longer the soup sits; be sure to add more water to restore the desired soup consistency and adjust with salt and pepper to taste.