Shorbet Tarbia or Egyptian lemon-chicken soup is a creamy, comfort soup that warms your soul and body on a chilled day or night.

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What is Shorbet Tarbia? 

Shorbet Tarbia is an Egyptian Chicken-Lemon soup that I used to eat at teta (means grandma in Arabic) Aida’s house.

Shorbet Tarbia is a lesser known Egyptian soup recipe that hasn’t been celebrated enough on social media,  and it has been eclipsed by its Greek and French equivalents: Avoglemono and Créme de Volaille.

That said, Egyptian Shorbet Tarbia is an eggless rendition of this mediterranean chicken soup and it is quite simple to make and easy to nail.

Read carefully the steps below to make an epic Shorbet Tarbia.

How to Make Shorbet Tarbia?

Chicken broth is fundamental to create an epic Shorbet Tarbia! Watch the step-by-step video here.

I personally use the best ingredients I can get my hands on to make a big batch of flavorsome chicken broth that I either can use in this recipe or in other stews and soups.

Making an excellent chicken broth depends on the technique as well as the ingredients. However, you can opt for a good quality of store-bought chicken. If you are using a pre-made or store-bought chicken stock, then skip the first step.

• Make the chicken broth: Sprinkle a whole chicken breast (bone in) with salt and pepper.  In a heavy bottom pan,  heat two tablespoons of ghee. Once hot, sear 1 quartered onion, 1 medium carrot (coarsely chopped), a stick of celery and parsley stalks. Add the chicken breast and sear on all sides until it is crispy and golden. Add the spices (3 bay leaves, 3 bruised cardamom pods, 1 teaspoon of  Lebanese 7 spices, 2 mastic pearls, a pinch of cinnamon, 5 whole peppercorn berries, and 5 whole allspice berries). Stir the spices in the hot ghee to intensify their flavor. Add hot water and let the chicken simmer for two hours or until the chicken is fork-tender and the vegetables are collapsed. Turn off the heat and run the soup throughout a fine mesh sieve.

Chicken Broth made of chicken breast and vegetables, and aromatic herbs.

• Make the soup: Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, when it is hot, add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a golden paste forms. Slowly add two cups of  chicken broth to the butter-flour paste and whisk vigorousily with a wire whisk until it is fully incorporated and a smooth, silky soup forms. Add the juice of half a lemon. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• Assemble the soup: Debone the chicken breast and cut in tiny chunks then add them to the soup.
• Serve: Transfer the soup to individual dish bowls, garnish with some parsley leaves, and serve hot with some extra lemon wedges.

 Check Out More Egyptian Soup Recipes  

You might also like:

• Molokhia 
• Shorbet Ades: Orange Lentil Soup 

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Shorbet Tarbia

EQUIPMENT

• Dutch Oven
• Fine mesh sieve
• Wooden spoon
• Wire whisk
• Laddle
• Lemon squeezer

 INGREDIENTS 

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth (recipe below)
• Toasted orzo, optional
• lemon juice, as needed
• 2 chicken breasts, shredded
• Salt and pepper to taste

Chicken Broth 

• Whole chicken breast, bone in
• 1 tablespoon ghee or butter
• 1 tablespoon unflavored oil, such as canola
• 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 onion, quartered
• 5-7 gloves garlic, skin on
• 1 leek, coarsely chopped, optional
• Handful parsley stalks
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 cardamom, bruised
• 2 mastic resins, optional
• 1 tablespoon Lebanese 7 spices or Egyptian Boharat
• 5 allspice whole berries
• 10 black peppercorns berries
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the chicken broth: If you are using a pre-made chicken broth or a store bought one, just skip this step and move to the next one. Sprinkle a whole chicken breast (bone in) with salt and pepper.  In a heavy bottom pan, heat two tablespoons of ghee (or butter) and the oil on low heat. Once hot, add the whole spices and the vegetables and sear the chopped vegetables. Add the chicken breast, sprinkle it with boharat and sear it on all sides, until the skin is crispy and golden. Add hot water off the cattle and let the chicken simmer for one and a half hour to two hours, or until the chicken is fork-tender and the vegetables are collapsed. Turn off the heat. Let the broth cool off slightly and then filter the soup using a fine mesh sieve. Discard the vegetables and bones. Keep the cooked breast in a a separate bowl from the broth until you assemble the soup.
2. Make the chicken-lemon soup: Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. When it is hot, add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a golden paste forms. Slowly add two cups of  chicken broth to the butter-flour paste and whisk with a wire whisk until it’s fully incorporated and a smooth, silky soup forms. Add the juice of half a lemon.
3. Assemble the soup: debone the chicken breast and cut in tiny chunks and add them to the soup. taste the soup and adjust the seasoning.
4. Serve:  Use a ladle to transfer the soup to individual dish bowls, sprinkle with some parsley leaves and serve hot with some extra lemon wedges.

NERMINE’S NOTES:

• You can add some toasted orzo to the chicken soup.