Shurabet el Eid (Holiday Soup) Recipe (2024)

Soups
White Rice
Middle Eastern
Meatballs
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Turn simple chicken broth into a full meal with the addition of white rice and easy meatballs.

Reem Kassis

Reem Kassis is a Palestinian writer whose work focuses on the intersection of food with culture, history, and politics. She has written two cookbooks: The Palestinian Table (2017) and The Arabesque Table (2021).

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Updated October 25, 2022

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Why It Works

White rice transforms a simple broth into a more filling meal.
The simple flavor of plain rice allows the spices in the broth and meatballs to stand out.
Fresh parsley serves as more than garnish, adding brightness to the dish.

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.

May 2021

Recipe Details

Shurabet el Eid (Holiday Soup) Recipe

Total40 mins

Serves4 servings

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

1/2 pound (225g) finely minced ground meat (beef, lamb, or a combination)
1 tablespoon (15ml)extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Soup:

1 1/2 quarts (1.5L)homemadeor low-sodium store-bought chicken stock (see note)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
1 loosely packed cup (about 6 ounces; 170g) cooked plain medium- or short-grain white rice
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems

Directions

For the Meatballs: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. In a medium bowl, combine ground meat with olive oil, salt, black pepper, cumin, and cinnamon. Using a clean hand, knead until very well combined and meatball mixture feels slightly sticky, about 2 minutes.
Using clean, lightly oiled hands, roll meatball mixture into grape-size balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet (you should have about 30 meatballs).
Bake meatballs just until starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
For the Soup: In a 3-quart saucepan, bring chicken stock to a boil along with cinnamon, allspice, and black pepper, then lower heat to hold a simmer. Taste the broth, then season with salt to your liking. (If using store-bought broth, follow additional instructions in note.)
Add the rice and the meatballs to broth and simmer just until the rice has softened slightly and the flavours have a chance to meld, 5 to 10 minutes.
To serve, place several meatballs in each bowl, then ladle the rice and broth on top. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

If you are using store-bought broth, add 1 small onion, 1 clove of garlic, and 1 bay leaf along with the spices and let it simmer for about 10 additional minutes to infuse; discard aromatics, then continue with recipe.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The finished soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat gently before serving.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
229	Calories
11g	Fat
14g	Carbs
18g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	229
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g	14%
Saturated Fat 3g	16%
Cholesterol 38mg	13%
Sodium 1223mg	53%
Total Carbohydrate 14g	5%
Dietary Fiber 1g	2%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 18g
Vitamin C 4mg	20%
Calcium 54mg	4%
Iron 3mg	16%
Potassium 501mg	11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)