Shurabet el Eid (Holiday Soup) Recipe

The name of this soup in Arabic translates to “Holiday Soup,” since it’s most often made around Christmas or Easter. Thanks to its nutritional value, it’s also made for women who have just given birth or for those suffering from a cold—think of it as the Arab version of chicken noodle soup. The traditional holiday recipe often features kubbeh, which are dumplings made of bulgur and ground meat, stuffed with a filling of ground meat sautéed with onions and spices, and pine nuts. For everyday eating, however, baked meatballs are the only star. Unlike the traditional large, fluffy meatballs one might think of when hearing the word, these are minuscule—no larger than a marble—and chewy, with the only add-ins being a few spices for flavor. They add a pleasant contrasting texture to the otherwise soft and smooth elements in the soup.  

Freshly cooked or leftover rice typically joins the pot. The type you use is relatively open to personal preference—any short or medium grain variety like Calrose, paella, sushi, or jasmine would be a great choice. Since basmati, a long grain rice, doesn’t absorb flavor and has a soft texture, though it’s best avoided here.

The ingredients in this recipe are incredibly simple, so the flavor of the dish really rests on the quality of the broth. There are no restrictions on the type (anything from chicken, beef, lamb, or a combination will work), but homemade is always preferred (if using store-bought broth, I like to doctor it by briefly simmering it with additional aromatics). 

I personally like to make the dish with chicken broth because I find it the most delicate, which complements the simplicity of the remaining ingredients well. Most often, I make my broth with the leftover carcass of a roast chicken, using onion, bay leaf, garlic, and carrot as aromatics, and whole peppercorns, allspice, coriander, and cinnamon for spice. Sometimes I’ll add some whole cloves or cardamom as well. If making the broth from raw chicken pieces, I recommend parboiling them for a few minutes before transferring to a clean pot and adding fresh water and aromatics—this will yield a clearer broth, both in visual appearance and in terms of flavor.