~538 cal · 40g protein · 43g carbs · 23g fat (estimated, per serving)
🍽️
Rust-red lamb and orzo soup dusted with dried mint
🇱🇾 Tripoli
When the maghrib call sounds in Tripoli, shorba is already on the table — the mint-sharp soup that breaks the fast before anything else is touched. Its rust-red depth comes from slow-fried tomato paste and bzaar spice.
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Make it yours
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 4 —
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1 lb lamb shoulder, small dice
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4 tbsp tomato paste
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1/2 cup orzo pasta
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1 cup chickpeas, cooked
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1 onion, grated
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2 tsp bzaar or baharat spice
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1/2 tsp turmeric
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1/2 tsp chili
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2 tsp — the signature dried mint
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a handful parsley
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1 lemon
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3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
1
Brown the lamb (or mushrooms) with the onion in oil.
2
Add the tomato paste and fry it dark, 4 minutes — this builds the color and depth.
3
Add spices, chickpeas, and 6 cups water; simmer 30 minutes (15 for the plant version).
4
Add the orzo for its final 8 minutes.
5
Finish with dried mint crushed between your palms, parsley, and lemon. Serve scalding, with dates on the side if it’s Ramadan.
Tripoli Ramadan tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
📍
Tripoli. Where Ramadan nights open with mint-sharp shorba.
🗺️
Libya. Mediterranean shores with Saharan depth.
🌍
Africa. Fifty-four countries of tagines, stews, and fire-kissed grills.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
👩🍳
Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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