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SHOOBA: Lebanese Chicken, Rice and Meatball Soup

Comforting delicious Lebanese chicken and rice soup with beef meatballs in homemade stock seasoned with osfor, a Middle Eastern spice that adds that something special. This recipe is a family treasure.
Print Recipe
Course Soup
Cuisine Middle Eastern

Ingredients
  

CHICKEN AND STOCK

  • 1 4-6 lb. whole chicken giblets removed
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled, left whole and smashed
  • 1 medium onion peeled and quartered
  • 3 medium carrots scrubbed or peeled and quartered
  • 3-4 center stalks of celery including leaves, quartered
  • 3 sprigs fresh parsley optional
  • 1 tsp whole peppercorns
  • 2 Tbs kosher salt I use Diamond Crystal

MEATBALLS

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ½-1 tsp ground black pepper

SOUP

  • 1 c long grain rice you can add up to a cup more (makes it thick)
  • 1 tbs osfor There is no substitute; just omit if you can't find it.
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

CHICKEN AND STOCK

  • Combine the chicken and next 7 ingredients in a large stockpot. Add 16 cups of cool water. Turn heat to medium high and bring just to a simmer. Reduce heat to keep at a gentle simmer for 1 ¼ hours.
  • Remove the chicken from the pot to cool slightly. Pick the meat from the bones and set the meat aside to cool. If prepping for making soup later, put the meat into a covered container in the refrigerator. Return the bones and skin to the broth in the stockpot; let gently simmer one additional hour. Drain the stock through a colander (and then fine mesh sieve if you want to be uber thorough) to remove the bones and vegetables. Discard the bones and vegetables. If making the soup now, put the stock back into the rinsed stockpot. If using later, cool the stock completely and then store covered in the refrigerator.

MEATBALLS

  • While the stock is cooking, preheat the oven to 350F convection (or 375F standard oven). Mix ground beef, salt and pepper. Roll into 2 tsp balls (marble sized-ish) and place on an oiled sheet pan. Bake in the preheated oven until just browned, approximately 15-20 minutes. Set aside until ready to use. Cover and refrigerator if making for later.

TO FINISH THE SOUP

  • In a large pot or the stockpot you made the stock in, bring the stock to a gentle simmer. Add the osfor and rice. Stir occasionally for half an hour just until the rice is cooked. Once the rice is cooked, stir in the chicken meat and meatballs. Taste for salt and pepper; adjust to your liking. Serve immediately or set to lowest setting to hold for up to an hour. Any longer and the rice gets very soft (for some, the best part).

Notes

OSFOR: A Middle Eastern spice that is the dried petals of the safflower. While it looks somewhat like saffron, it takes nothing like it. Osfor can be found online or at Middle Eastern grocers. I get mine at the Mediterranean Bakery and Café in Alexandria, VA. If you can’t get hold of it; don’t substitute saffron. Just do without. It will be delicious though will lack that certain something that osfor gives it.
TO FEED A CROWD: If you are serving a crowd, you can always par-cook extra rice and have it ready to go should you need the supplement. For added insurance, a box of good organic chicken stock (or two or three) can stretch or thin the soup if you find you need it. My mother always had a stash of extra meatballs and chicken ready in case we had surprise, or very hungry, guests.
Keyword chicken soup, chicken stock, meatballs, rice