Libyan Lamb Soup: The second St_ay recipe
A traditional Ramadan recipe for Libyan Soup (Shorba Libya), a hearty lamb and orzo dish shared by Haya Elmizwghi.
Libyan Lamb Soup
The second St_ay recipe š Lybia
Sophie Bird | March 15, 2026
This recipe is brought to us by Haya Elmizwghi (M27). Iāll let her introduce itā¦
Every Ramadan night, my family and I would gather around the table after a long day of fasting, with hunger in our bellies and piety in our hearts, and eat a single date and down a single glass of water in three gulps, and pray to God that every person out there that has felt this hunger has the food and drink that we did.
And then we feast.
And every Ramadan night my mom and mothers all across Libya will have this soup prepared, steaming hot and splayed out on the table, waiting for us. This soup, called āLibyan Soupā or āRamadan Soupā depending on who you ask (Iām feeling patriotic, so I say the former). It takes little time and materials to prepare properly, and even less time to eat, but with what few ingredients it consists of, makes a recently starving person feel like a Queen of before the French revolution.
Enough to say ālet us not eat cake, let us drink Libyan soup insteadā.
š§ The Setup
| Category | Item | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Seasoning | Harissa | 1 teaspoon |
| Turmeric | 1 teaspoon | |
| Sea salt | 1 teaspoon | |
| Ground pepper | Ā½ teaspoon (freshly ground) | |
| Cayenne or paprika | Ā¼ teaspoon | |
| Ground caraway / Libyan baharat* | 1 teaspoon | |
| Garlic cloves | 1-2 (pressed) | |
| Fresh herbs (parsley, dill, or cilantro) | Ā¼ cup | |
| Dried mint | 2 tablespoons | |
| Base | Olive oil | Dash |
| Medium onion | 1 (diced) | |
| Lamb meat (boneless) | 200g (small cubes) | |
| Tomato paste | 2 heaping tablespoons | |
| Chickpeas | 1 14oz can | |
| Orzo pasta | ā cup |
Recommended to serve with a baguette.
šØāš³ Instructions
- SautƩ onions in the olive oil on medium high heat until golden.
- Add turmeric, cayenne, harissa paste, salt and pepper. Give everything a good stir. Then add tomato paste and continue cooking until the oil turns red. Careful not to burn the tomato paste.
- Add your lamb and ensure all of the spice mixture coats the meat. Lower the heat right down and leave it to cook covered for about 5 minutes.
- Simmer: The lamb should have released liquid. Add 1.5 cups of water and bring to a boil. Mellow out the temperature again and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Expand: Add the cooked chickpeas along with another 2.5 cups of water, simmer that for another 15 minutes.
- Orzo: Add the orzo pasta, garlic, and caraway. Cook until the pasta is ready, then add parsley or the herb of your choice.
- Finish: Finally, rub the dried mint over the soup so it falls into it as a fine powder.
- Serve: Itās done! Serve with a baguette and lemon slices.
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