Libyan Shorba

Libyan Shorba (Shorba Libiya)

Shorba simply means soup, but in Libya the name refers to the red soup of meat, chickpeas and small pasta, seasoned with harissa or hot pepper and balanced with dried mint and lemon. It is thicker than a clear soup but still eaten with a spoon, not as a stew.

Prep time: 15 minutes · Cook time: 75 minutes · Total: an hour and a half · Yield: 8 bowls · Difficulty: easy

Why the pasta cooks in the soup

The orzo releases starch that thickens the liquid and absorbs the spices. That is also the trap: it keeps drinking liquid after the heat is off. If the soup is meant for tomorrow, cook the pasta separately and combine in each bowl.

Ingredients (for 8 servings)

• 500 grams lean stewing beef, in small cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 150 grams tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon harissa, or 1 teaspoon hot paprika
• 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground caraway
• 240 grams cooked chickpeas, drained
• 120 grams orzo, risoni (“tongues”) pasta or rice-shaped Israeli pasta
• 2 liters hot water
• A handful of chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon dried mint
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice, salt and pepper

Choosing ingredients and substitutes

Beef shoulder cut into 1 cm cubes softens in a relatively short time; lamb works in the same amount. Commercial harissa varies a lot in heat and salt. Orzo is rice-shaped pasta and is found next to the other pasta; Israeli rice-shaped pasta works but cooks slightly faster.

Method

1. Brown the meat. Heat oil in a pot and fry the cubes in a single layer until browned. Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes.
2. Fry the paste. Add the paste, harissa and spices and stir for 2–3 minutes until the paste is dark and starts to stick slightly.
3. Cook until tender. Pour in the water, scrape the bottom of the pot, add the chickpeas and bring to a boil. Cook partially covered for 40–50 minutes.
4. Add the pasta. Add the orzo and cook uncovered for 12–16 minutes, stirring especially often at the bottom.
5. Balance at the end. When the meat and pasta are tender, turn off the heat and add the parsley, mint and lemon. Taste for salt and heat and thin with boiling water if needed.

Nutrition facts and calorie estimate

A bowl is an eighth of the pot. Bread adds 80–200 calories depending on the amount. If you use fatty lamb instead of lean beef, add about 40 calories per bowl.

Variations and tips

• For a vegetarian version, double the chickpeas and cook for 30 minutes; about 250 calories per bowl.
• The soup thickens a lot as it cools. Keep the pasta separate if making ahead.
• The mint and lemon go in after the heat is off to keep a fresh aroma.

Summary

Shorba is a meal in a bowl: meat, legume and pasta in about 310 calories. The thickness comes from the orzo and the balance from the mint and lemon. See also Soups and the rest of Tripolitan cuisine.