Comforting Syrian soup pulls almost everything from pantry

The Syrian soup shurba w’kibbeh is pure comfort food, a rustic mixture of meatballs and rice in a simple tomatoey broth that’s redolent with warm spices. It’s also a prime example of the complex flavor you can build by drawing on ingredients already in your pantry.

This recipe from our book “Cook What You Have,” which draws on pantry staples to assemble easy, weeknight meals, requires just one refrigerated ingredient: ground beef (ground turkey works well, too). Also made with canned tomatoes, rice and boxed broth, the soup can be ready in about 40 minutes.

Inspired by a recipe from “Aromas of Aleppo” by Poopa Dweck, we mix allspice and red pepper flakes into the meat mixture. You also could substitute cumin or cinnamon or combine them all for a slightly different flavor profile that would be no less traditional.

The prep is easy, too. To boost the flavor of