Sharba Libiya (Libyan Spiced Soup)

Name: Sharba Libiya (Libyan Spiced Soup)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Libya
Ingredients: 1 lb lamb, cut into small pieces; 1 onion, chopped; 3 tbsp tomato paste; 2 tomatoes, grated; 1 tsp turmeric; 1 tsp dried mint; 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 1/2 cup chickpeas, cooked; 1/3 cup orzo pasta (lisan al asfour); 6 cups water or lamb stock; 2 tbsp lemon juice, plus wedges for serving

Sharba Libiya (Libyan Spiced Soup) photo 1

6 servings15 min prep45 min cookEasy Libya

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Sharba Libiya (Libyan Spiced Soup)

Story updated September 17, 2026

Sharba, simply meaning 'soup' in Libyan dialect and likely reflecting a Persian-influenced word (shorba) that traveled across the Ottoman world, is the dish Libyans turn to nightly throughout Ramadan. Built on lamb or chicken, tomato, chickpeas, and dried mint, it's eaten right after dates and water to break the day's fast.

Ingredients

Scale:· 6 servings

1 lb lamb, cut into small pieces
1 onion, chopped
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tomatoes, grated
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chickpeas, cooked
1/3 cup orzo pasta (lisan al asfour)
6 cups water or lamb stock
2 tbsp lemon juice, plus wedges for serving

Instructions

1Brown the lamb with onion in a large pot.
2Stir in tomato paste, grated tomatoes, turmeric, mint, and cinnamon, and cook 5 minutes.
3Add water and simmer 30 minutes until the lamb is tender.
4Stir in chickpeas and orzo and simmer 10-12 minutes until the pasta is cooked.
5Season with salt and stir in lemon juice.
6Serve hot with extra lemon wedges.

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