Shorba (Meat and Oat Soup)

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Faizah
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Mummy has been losing weight of late, and I’ve been trying out different soup recipes for her to have some variety in her diet.  I wanted to keep things interesting enough for her to want to eat. At the same time I wanted to provide her with all the necessary nutrition to stay healthy. Since it’s fasting month and she might get even skinnier, I tried out this wonderful shorba recipe by the Queen of Sheba.

Shorba is a hearty soup, pretty much a meal on its own. It contains healthy oats and is packed with protein from any meat of your choice.  This recipe calls for the hawa’ij spice mix I usually use for my mandy rice, but any Saudi spice mix should work just fine. At the same time it is really easy to eat, making it the perfect dish for suhoor.  It is a bit heavy to have as a starter before a main course, so my family and I would dish out only very very small bowls during buka puasa.  

Try it out!

    Step by Step

    In a pot over medium heat, heat the oil.

    Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, 5 minutes.

    When the onions are slightly browned, add the meat and cook, stirring, until browned a little, 2 to 3 minutes.

    Add 6 cups water.

    Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender, about an hour.  If using boneless chicken, 20 to 30 minutes should be sufficient. Remove any foam that forms on top.

    Add the oats, spices, and stock cubes.

    Add the remaining 4 cups water.

    Bring to a boil and cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until a smooth consistency is achieved, about 10 minutes.

    Stir in the milk. Season with salt to taste. If the soup becomes too thick, add more water to your desired consistency.

    Ladle into small bowls and serve hot.

    Shorba (Meat and Oat Soup)

    A hearty Middle Eastern oat soup, with generous amounts of meat and flavored with Middle Eastern spices.
    Print Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
    Course Snack, Soup
    Cuisine Middle Eastern
    Servings 10

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ onion chopped
    • 500 grams boneless chicken thigh meat OR beef cut into chunks
    • 10 cups water
    • 1 ½ cups instant oats
    • 1 teaspoon Saudi spice mix OR hawa’ij spice mix see note
    • 1 Chicken OR beef stock cubes enough for 1 litre stock
    • ½ teaspoon salt to taste
    • 200 ml full cream milk optional

    Instructions
     

    • In a pot over medium heat, heat the oil.
    • Add the onions and cook, stirring, 5 minutes.
    • Add the meat and cook, stirring, until browned a little, 2 to 3 minutes.
    • Add 6 cups water.
    • Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, about an hour.  If using boneless chicken, 20 to 30 minutes should be sufficient. Remove any foam that forms on top.
    • Add the oats, spices, and stock cubes.
    • Add the remaining 4 cups water.
    • Bring to a boil and cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until a smooth consistency is achieved, about 10 minutes.
    • Stir in the milk. Season with salt to taste.
    • Ladle into small bowls and serve hot.

    Notes

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