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Shorba Libiya
Libya’s tomato-lamb soup with orzo and a signature flourish of dried mint, the bowl that opens every Ramadan night.
Libyan · easy · serves 4
prep 15 min · cook 45 min
~545 cal · 35g protein · 32g carbs · 31g fat · 4g fiber · 6g sugars · 10g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Shorba Libiya is the tomato-and-lamb soup that opens the evening meal across Libya, above all during Ramadan when it breaks the daily fast at sundown. Lamb is simmered with tomato, chickpeas, and orzo pasta, warmly spiced, and finished with a generous, distinctive flourish of dried mint that lifts the whole bowl.
The dried mint is the signature: it gives the soup an aromatic, slightly cooling edge that sets it apart from the tomato soups of neighboring countries. Rich enough to restore after a day of fasting yet not heavy, it is engineered for exactly that role.
During Ramadan, the smell of shorba cooking signals the approach of iftar in kitchens across Tripoli. Served with bread and lemon, it is the comforting, communal first course that gathers the family back to the table each night of the holy month.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally dairy-, nut-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
- 1 lb lamb shoulder, small dice
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup orzo pasta
- 1 cup chickpeas, cooked
- 1 onion, grated
- 2 tsp bzaar or baharat spice
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp chili
- 2 tsp dried mint, the signature
- a handful parsley
- 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- 1Brown the lamb (or mushrooms) with the onion in oil.
- 2Add the tomato paste and fry it for about 4 minutes until it darkens.✎ Chef’s noteFrying the tomato paste until it darkens builds the deep colour and savoury base of the soup. Do not skip it or the shorba tastes thin.
- 3Add the spices, chickpeas, and 6 cups water, and simmer 30 minutes (15 for the plant version).
- 4Add the orzo and cook for its final 8 minutes, until tender.
- 5Finish with dried mint crushed between your palms, parsley, and lemon, and serve hot.
Tripoli Ramadan tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Tripoli. Tripoli opens Ramadan nights with shorba, a mint-sharp lamb and chickpea soup thickened with orzo. Libyan cooking joins North African spice to Italian influence, in couscous, bazin barley dough, and pasta dishes seasoned with tomato and hot red pepper.
🗺️
Libya. Libyan food bridges the Maghreb and the Mediterranean, famous for bazin (a dense barley dough with rich sauce), spicy soups, and couscous. Pasta from Italian rule and lamb-heavy stews reflect its layered history.
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Africa. Much of what reads as timeless African cooking is younger than the Atlantic crossings. Maize, cassava, groundnut, chilli and tomato all arrived from the Americas after 1500 and pushed older crops aside; millet, sorghum, teff, yam and fonio are the ones that were already here, and the map still shows the join.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Libya
BazinA firm barley-flour dome served in a spiced lamb-and-tomato sauce with a hard-boiled egg.
SfinzStretchy, lacy fried dough eaten warm with honey or date syrup, a Libyan weekend breakfast.
Macaroni ImbakbakaPasta simmered in a spiced lamb-and-tomato sauce until it absorbs it all, Libya's signature everyday pasta.
Browse all Libya recipes →
Good to know
Storing it: Soup keeps 3 to 4 days refrigerated and freezes well. Reheat gently and loosen with a little water or stock if needed.
Make it a Libya meal
Shahi bil Ful (Libyan Tea)Drink
GhraybahDessert
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Cuisine
Diet
Frequently asked questions
What is Shorba Libiya?
Libya’s tomato-lamb soup with orzo and a signature flourish of dried mint, the bowl that opens every Ramadan night.
Where does Shorba Libiya come from?
Shorba Libiya is a Libyan dish from Tripoli, Libya.
Can Shorba Libiya be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Shorba Libiya recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions. Treat the substitutions as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Shorba Libiya safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we still count coconut as a tree nut to be cautious, although the FDA stopped listing it as one in 2025), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Shorba Libiya take to make?
About 60 minutes total (15 minutes prep, 45 minutes cooking), serving 4.
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