Chorba with lamb, cinnamon and dried mint recipe

Considered something of a national dish in Libya, this lamb soup is spicy with the added punch of dried mint.

Chorba with lamb, cinnamon and dried mint.

Jeff Koehler

less than 2 min read

12:00AMMay 05, 2023.

Updated 5:10PMMay 05, 2023

The Weekend Australian Magazine

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This soup with lamb, dried mint and plenty of spices is considered something of a national dish in Libya and often referred to as shorba libiya, ‘Libyan soup’. Versions vary from kitchen to kitchen, but one of the key constants is adding a generous amount of dried mint at the end, and it is usually spicy. During Ramadan, it’s found almost nightly on tables.

This dish is often referred to as shorba libiya, ‘Libyan soup’.

The North African Cookbook by Jeff Koehler.

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RECIPE: Chorba with lamb, cinnamon and dried mint

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 175g trimmed stewing lamb (or beef if preferred), cut into about 1cm pieces
• 1 red or brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 ripe tomatoes, halved crosswise and grated, peel discarded
• 2 heaped tablespoons double concentrated tomato paste
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• Cayenne pepper, to taste
• 100g (½ cup) canned chickpeas, rinsed, or cooked dried chickpeas
• 2 heaped tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons coriander, finely chopped
• 100g (about ½ cup) orzo or another small soup pasta
• 1 heaped tablespoon dried mint
• Salt and pepper
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Add the oil, lamb and onion to a soup pot, season with salt and pepper and cook over a high heat for 8-10 minutes until the meat is browned and the onion begins to soften. Stir in the garlic, then add the tomatoes, tomato paste and 4 tablespoons of water.
2. Add the cinnamon, ginger, turmeric and cayenne pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour in 750ml (3 cups) of hot water, cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Add the chickpeas, parsley and coriander. Pour in 500ml (2 cups) of hot water, cover again and simmer for 15-30 minutes until the meat is tender.
4. Add the pasta, increase the heat slightly and boil for 8-10 minutes until tender. Stir in the mint.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over the top.

This is an edited extract from The North African Cookbook by Jeff Koehler (Phaidon, $74.95).