Algerian Chorba Beida (White Chicken Soup with Chickpeas, Lemon and Mint)

Name: Algerian Chorba Beida (White Chicken Soup with Chickpeas, Lemon and Mint)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Algerian
Ingredients: 2 lb (900 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, skin removed, trimmed of excess fat; 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil; 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter; 1 large (about 10 oz) (280 g) yellow onion, finely diced (¼-inch / 6 mm); 3 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced; 2 medium (180 g) carrot, peeled, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) dice; 1 large (60 g) celery stalk, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 1 3-inch (7.5 cm) stick (3 g) cinnamon stick; ½ tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper; ¼ tsp (½ g) ground turmeric, optional, for a pale golden tint (optional); 1 tbsp (16 g) tomato paste, optional; traditional chorba beida is white, so omit for a pure white soup (optional); 9 cups (2130 ml) water, cold; 2 tsp (12 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste; 1 can (15 oz) (425 g) canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 1½ cups / 250 g drained); ½ cup (60 g) vermicelli or fine pasta (such as cut angel hair or orzo), broken into short pieces; ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 2 yolks (36 g) large egg yolks, at room temperature; 3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1½ lemons, strained; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh mint leaves, chopped just before serving

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Chorba beida, "white soup," is a classic Algerian dish, especially at Ramadan. Chicken, onion and chickpeas simmer gently in a cinnamon-scented broth. Vermicelli thickens it a little. An egg yolk and lemon liaison stirred in at the end makes it silky and bright, and fresh mint finishes it.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 1 hr 5 min
Total: 1 hr 30 min
Makes: About 2.5 quarts (2.4 liters), 6 generous bowls

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Ingredients

6 servings

2 lb (900 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, skin removed, trimmed of excess fat
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter
1 large (about 10 oz) (280 g) yellow onion, finely diced (¼-inch / 6 mm)
3 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced
2 medium (180 g) carrot, peeled, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) dice
1 large (60 g) celery stalk, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
1 3-inch (7.5 cm) stick (3 g) cinnamon stick
½ tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground turmeric, optional, for a pale golden tint (optional)
1 tbsp (16 g) tomato paste, optional; traditional chorba beida is white, so omit for a pure white soup (optional)
9 cups (2130 ml) water, cold
2 tsp (12 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1 can (15 oz) (425 g) canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 1½ cups / 250 g drained)
½ cup (60 g) vermicelli or fine pasta (such as cut angel hair or orzo), broken into short pieces
¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 yolks (36 g) large egg yolks, at room temperature
3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1½ lemons, strained
¼ cup (10 g) fresh mint leaves, chopped just before serving

Equipment (6)

5- to 6-quart (5-6 liter) heavy pot or Dutch oven with lid
Large bowl or plate for shredding chicken
2 forks or tongs
Small bowl and whisk for the liaison
Ladle
Fine-mesh skimmer or spoon

Steps

Before you start

Use canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed) for speed. If using dried, soak 8 hours and boil separately until tender, then add them in step 6.
Take the egg yolks out of the fridge 20 minutes before the liaison in step 8 so they are less likely to curdle.
Juice the lemon and chop the herbs while the chicken simmers.
Have the pot off the heat and a ladle ready before you make the egg-lemon liaison. It must not boil afterward.

1
Sear the chicken
- Pat the chicken thighs dry and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a 5- to 6-quart pot over medium-high heat until the butter foams.
- Add the thighs in one layer and sear 3 minutes per side, just until the surface turns pale golden.
- You are not aiming for deep browning, to keep the broth light.
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Ready when: Surface is pale golden; the chicken is not cooked through yet
Tip: Work in two batches if the pot is crowded, or the chicken will steam instead of sear.
2
Soften the aromatics
- Move the chicken to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion to the fat in the pot.
- Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until soft and translucent but not browned.
- Stir in the garlic, black pepper, turmeric and tomato paste if using, and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent and soft, garlic smells fragrant
Tip: If the onion starts to brown, add a splash of water.
3
Add water and simmer
- Return the chicken and its juices to the pot.
- Add the cinnamon stick and the 9 cups (2.1 liters) cold water.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then skim off the grey foam that rises to the surface with a spoon for about 3 minutes.
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Ready when: Broth is boiling and the surface is mostly clear of foam
Tip: Skimming now gives a cleaner, whiter broth.
4
Cook the chicken gently
- Reduce the heat to low so the broth barely bubbles.
- Cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer 30 minutes, until the chicken is very tender and pulls away from the bone.
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Ready when: Thickest part of a thigh reads at least 175°F (80°C) and the meat is falling off the bone
Tip: A hard boil makes the broth cloudy and the meat stringy.
5
Shred the chicken
- Lift the thighs onto a bowl and remove the cinnamon stick.
- Let the chicken cool 5 minutes, then discard the bones and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces with two forks.
- Set the meat aside.
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Ready when: Meat shreds easily with no pink near the bone
Tip: Keep the cinnamon stick on a saucer to put back in the pot if you want a stronger flavor.
6
Add vegetables and chickpeas
- Bring the broth back to a steady simmer over medium heat.
- Add the carrots, celery, chickpeas and the remaining 1½ teaspoons salt.
- Simmer uncovered for 12 minutes, until the carrots are just tender when pierced with a knife.
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Ready when: Carrot pieces yield easily to a knife tip
7
Cook the vermicelli
- Stir in the vermicelli and the shredded chicken.
- Simmer 5 to 6 minutes, stirring now and then, until the pasta is tender and the soup has thickened slightly.
- Stir in the parsley.
- Taste and add salt if needed, then remove the pot from the heat.
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Ready when: Vermicelli is soft with no hard center; the soup coats a spoon lightly
Tip: Pasta keeps absorbing broth as it sits, so keep the soup slightly looser than you want it.
8
Make the liaison
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the lemon juice until smooth.
- Whisk in 1 ladleful (about ½ cup / 120 ml) of the hot, not boiling, broth in a thin stream.
- Whisk in a second ladleful the same way so the yolks warm gradually.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth, pale yellow and warm to the touch
Tip: Pour slowly while whisking constantly, or the yolks will scramble.
9
Finish the soup
- With the pot off the heat, slowly pour the egg-lemon mixture into the soup while stirring gently.
- Stir for 1 minute.
- The soup turns creamy and opaque white.
- If it has cooled below steaming, warm it over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, without letting it bubble.
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Ready when: Soup is creamy, pale and steaming with no scrambled egg bits
Tip: Never boil the soup after adding the liaison; it will curdle.
10
Serve with mint
- Taste and adjust with salt, pepper or a squeeze more lemon.
- Ladle into warm bowls and top each with chopped mint.
- Serve right away with lemon wedges or crusty bread.
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Ready when: Soup tastes bright, lightly tangy and well salted
Tip: Add mint at the table so it stays green and fragrant.

Good to know

Tips

Keep the simmer gentle and skim early for a clear, pale broth.
Temper the yolks slowly and keep the soup below a boil after adding them for a silky, never-curdled finish.
Season in stages, because the lemon and the absorbed pasta change how salty the soup tastes.
For a thicker, more traditional texture, mash a few chickpeas against the side of the pot before adding the vermicelli.

Make ahead

"Make the soup through step 7 up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate, but cook the vermicelli only just before serving so it doesn't turn mushy (or cook it separately and add to each bowl). Reheat gently, then make the egg-lemon liaison fresh just before serving."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Fridge: up to 3 days in an airtight container (the pasta will absorb broth, so thin with water or stock). Freezer: the soup base without the liaison freezes up to 3 months, ideally without pasta. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat over medium-low heat until steaming, then add the liaison and mint. Don't freeze soup that already has the egg-lemon liaison."

Substitutions

bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs → bone-in chicken breasts or a mix of legs and breasts. Breasts cook faster, about 20–25 minutes in step 4, and the broth will be a little lighter.
vermicelli or fine pasta (such as cut angel hair or orzo) → freekeh, rice or orzo. Orzo cooks in about the same time; rice (¼ cup / 50 g) needs about 15 minutes.
fresh lemon juice → fresh lime juice. Use the same amount; the flavor will be slightly sharper.
fresh mint leaves → fresh cilantro or a pinch of dried mint. Use 1 teaspoon dried mint crumbled over the soup if fresh isn't available.