Algerian Lamb and Freekeh Soup
Lamb, freekeh and chickpeas in a cinnamon-warmed tomato broth — Algeria's most comforting ladle.
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 4
Algeria's beloved red soup: lamb simmered with tomatoes, chickpeas, cinnamon and paprika, thickened with nutty cracked freekeh and finished with a flurry of cilantro and mint. It's the pot that breaks the fast in Ramadan homes — warming, green-herbed and deeply restorative any month of the year.
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- Place freekeh in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside.
- Combine lamb, onion, black pepper, paprika, cinnamon, and salt in a pot. Stir in oil, 1/2 the cilantro, 1/2 the mint, and celery stalk until combined. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in chickpeas; pour in just enough water to cover, and return to a simmer. Stir in zucchini, carrot, and tomato paste.
- Set a steamer over the pot; add tomatoes. Cover and steam tomatoes until soft, about 5 minutes. Crush tomatoes using a wooden spoon, so pulp drips into soup. Remove the steamer and discard leftover tomato peels.
- Add potato to soup and just enough water to cover. Simmer until potato is soft, about 10 minutes.
- Drain freekeh and add to soup. Simmer until soft, about 15 minutes. Remove celery stalk and discard. Sprinkle soup with remaining 1/2 cilantro and remaining 1/2 mint before serving.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories
- 430
- Protein
- 24 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
Adapted from allrecipes.com. Rewritten and re-photographed by MealIdeas.
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