Tunisian Chicken Shorba Frik

Name: Tunisian Chicken Shorba Frik
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Tunisian
Ingredients: 3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 2 lb (900 g) bone-in, skinless chicken thighs, about 6 thighs, patted dry; 1 large (250 g) yellow onion, finely chopped; 4 cloves (15 g) garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste; 1 tbsp (15 g) harissa paste, or to taste (optional); 1 tsp (2½ g) sweet paprika; 1 tsp (2 g) ground coriander; ½ tsp (1½ g) ground turmeric; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 1 stick (3 inches) (4 g) cinnamon stick, about 7.5 cm long; 1 can (14 oz) (400 g) crushed tomatoes, or 1 lb/450 g ripe tomatoes, grated and skins discarded; 8 cups (1900 ml) water, cold; 2 tsp (10 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste (Diamond Crystal; use less for table salt); ¾ cup (150 g) cracked freekeh, rinsed and drained; 1 can (15 oz) (240 g) canned chickpeas, drained weight, rinsed; ⅓ cup (12 g) fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped, plus small leaves for garnish; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped; 1 large (100 g) lemon, half juiced (about 2 tbsp/30 ml), half cut into wedges for serving

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A fragrant Tunisian soup of tender chicken, nutty smoked freekeh, chickpeas and tomatoes, warmed with cinnamon and finished with plenty of fresh mint and lemon. It is hearty enough for a meal and traditionally served at Ramadan iftar.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 1 hr 30 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 2 hr
Makes: About 3 quarts (2.8 L), 6 generous bowls

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Ingredients

6 servings

3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 lb (900 g) bone-in, skinless chicken thighs, about 6 thighs, patted dry
1 large (250 g) yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves (15 g) garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste
1 tbsp (15 g) harissa paste, or to taste (optional)
1 tsp (2.5 g) sweet paprika
1 tsp (2 g) ground coriander
½ tsp (1.5 g) ground turmeric
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
1 stick (3 inches) (4 g) cinnamon stick, about 7.5 cm long
1 can (14 oz) (400 g) crushed tomatoes, or 1 lb/450 g ripe tomatoes, grated and skins discarded
8 cups (1900 ml) water, cold
2 tsp (10 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste (Diamond Crystal; use less for table salt)
¾ cup (150 g) cracked freekeh, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz) (240 g) canned chickpeas, drained weight, rinsed
To finish
⅓ cup (12 g) fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped, plus small leaves for garnish
¼ cup (10 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 large (100 g) lemon, half juiced (about 2 tbsp/30 ml), half cut into wedges for serving

Equipment (6)

5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) heavy-bottomed soup pot or casserole with lid
Fine-mesh sieve
Two forks or tongs for shredding
Instant-read thermometer
Box grater (if grating fresh tomatoes)
Ladle

Steps

Before you start

Buy CRACKED freekeh (it cooks in 20–25 minutes). Whole-grain freekeh needs 40–50 minutes, so add it 20 minutes earlier if that is what you have.
Rinse the freekeh in a fine-mesh sieve under cold water until the water runs mostly clear, and pick out any stray stones or husks.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels so it browns instead of steaming.
This is a stovetop recipe; no oven is needed. Have a ladle and a large bowl or plate ready for removing and shredding the chicken.

1
Prep the ingredients
- Chop the onion, mince the garlic, rinse and drain the freekeh and chickpeas, and measure out the spices into one small bowl (paprika, coriander, turmeric, black pepper).
- Pat the chicken thighs very dry and season them all over with 1 tsp of the salt.
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Ready when: Everything is measured and within reach of the stove.
Tip: Set the lemon, mint and parsley aside for the end so they stay fresh.
2
Brown the chicken
- Heat the olive oil in the soup pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 2 minutes.
- Add the thighs in a single layer (work in two batches if crowded) and cook without moving for 4 minutes, then flip and cook 3–4 minutes more.
- Transfer to a plate; leave the fat in the pot.
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Ready when: Both sides are golden brown; the chicken will not be cooked through yet.
Tip: If the browned bits on the pot bottom look nearly black, lower the heat to medium before adding the onion.
3
Soften the onion
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt (from the remaining salt) and cook, stirring often and scraping up the browned bits, for 6–7 minutes.
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Ready when: The onion is soft, translucent and just starting to turn golden at the edges.
4
Toast spices and paste
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, harissa (if using) and the spice mixture.
- Stir constantly for 2 minutes so the paste darkens slightly and the spices bloom in the oil.
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Ready when: The mixture smells fragrant and the paste turns brick red; the garlic should not brown.
Tip: If it sticks or scorches, splash in 2 tbsp (30 ml) of water.
5
Cook down the tomatoes
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes to remove the raw tomato taste and thicken the base.
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Ready when: The sauce is thick and a spoon dragged across the pot bottom leaves a clear trail.
6
Simmer the chicken
- Return the chicken and any juices to the pot.
- Add the water, cinnamon stick and the remaining 1 tsp salt.
- Bring to a boil over high heat (about 8 minutes), skim off any foam, then reduce to low, cover partially and simmer for 30 minutes.
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Ready when: Thickest thigh reads at least 175°F (80°C) and the meat pulls easily from the bone.
Tip: Keep the simmer gentle, with only small bubbles, so the broth stays clear and the chicken stays tender.
7
Shred the chicken
- Lift the chicken onto a board or bowl with tongs and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Discard the bones, then shred the meat into bite-size pieces with two forks.
- Leave the broth simmering on low.
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Ready when: Meat is in small, tender shreds with no pink and no cartilage.
Tip: Fish out any small loose bones from the broth with a spoon.
8
Cook the freekeh
- Stir the rinsed freekeh into the simmering broth.
- Simmer, partly covered and stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
- Add the chickpeas and simmer 10 minutes more, adding up to 1 cup (240 ml) hot water if the soup becomes thicker than a stew.
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Ready when: Freekeh grains are tender but still pleasantly chewy, and the broth is slightly thickened.
Tip: Stir from the bottom; freekeh settles and can scorch.
9
Finish and season
- Remove the cinnamon stick.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot and warm for 2 minutes.
- Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, chopped mint and parsley.
- Taste and add salt (up to ½ tsp more) and pepper until the flavors are bright.
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Ready when: Soup is steaming hot, fragrant with mint, and tastes lively rather than flat.
Tip: Add herbs off the heat so they stay green.
10
Rest and serve
- Let the soup rest, covered, for 5 minutes so the freekeh finishes absorbing flavor.
- Ladle into warm bowls, scatter with small mint leaves and serve with lemon wedges.
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Ready when: Soup is thick but spoonable.
Tip: The soup keeps thickening as it stands; thin with hot water when reheating.

Good to know

Tips

Use bone-in thighs for the best broth; they stay juicy during the long simmer.
Stir often once the freekeh goes in; it absorbs a lot of liquid and can stick.
Add the lemon and herbs at the end for a bright finish that balances the cinnamon.
Taste for salt at the end; freekeh absorbs seasoning and the soup may need a little more.

Make ahead

Make the soup through step 8 up to 2 days ahead. Cool and refrigerate, then reheat gently with extra water, return the shredded chicken, and stir in the lemon juice and fresh herbs just before serving.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 3 months (freekeh softens slightly). Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring often, adding ½–1 cup (120–240 ml) water to loosen, until steaming hot at 165°F (74°C).

Substitutions

cracked freekeh → pearl barley or coarse bulgur. Barley needs about 30–35 minutes; coarse bulgur about 15. The flavor will be less smoky.
bone-in, skinless chicken thighs → bone-in chicken breasts. Simmer only until 165°F (74°C), about 20–25 minutes, then shred. The result is leaner and less rich.
crushed tomatoes → 1 lb (450 g) ripe tomatoes, grated. Discard the skins and simmer a few extra minutes to cook off the water.
harissa paste → ¼ tsp cayenne or red pepper flakes. Gives similar heat but less depth.