Shorba recipe

Libyan Ramadan soup of lamb and orzo in a tomato paste broth, finished with dried mint crushed between the palms and a squeeze of lemon.

1 hour and 25 minuteseasy12 ingredients

Ingredients

• 400 g lamb
• 100 g orzo
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 onion
• 150 g chickpeas
• 1 tbsp dried mint
• 1 bunch fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp hararat spice blend
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt

How to make Shorba

1. Cut 400 g of lamb into 1 cm cubes and brown them with 1 finely chopped onion in 3 tablespoons of olive oil for 8 minutes.
2. Stir in 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of hararat, 1 teaspoon of chili powder and 1 teaspoon of salt and fry for 2 minutes so the paste loses its raw taste; this frying is what gives the soup its red colour.
3. Pour in 1.5 litres of boiling water, add 150 g of cooked chickpeas and simmer covered for 45 minutes until the lamb is tender.
4. Add 100 g of orzo and a large handful of chopped fresh parsley and cook for 12 to 15 minutes more, stirring so the pasta does not stick to the bottom.
5. Let the soup rest off the heat for 5 minutes and check the thickness: it should coat the spoon, so add hot water if the orzo has drunk too much.
6. Crush 1 tablespoon of dried mint between your palms straight into the pot; dried mint is the smell of this soup and fresh mint will not do the same thing.
7. Serve hot with lemon wedges, squeezing the juice into the bowl at the table.

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