The classic Libyan soup, Sharba, is an inevitable dish on the Libyan Ramadan table. It’s a starter to the rest of the menu and intended just to whet the appetite.

It is all about combining various ingredients in a large pot to create a nutritious simple to-make dish.

Sharba contains meat of any sort, could be lamb, beef, chicken or fish, grains of chickpeas, onion, tomatoes and spices that are usually used in most Libyan dishes, no creamy consistency involved, typically, Libyan soups are mainly broths.

This soup has a base of only water with no extra stock needed. As the soup cooks, flavours from those ingredients are released into the broth, whichever meat you choose to throw in, the flavor will show off and make the taste, and if you could add a few chunks of liver and kidney with the lamb meat, enjoy! It truly is a mouthwatering dish to make.

After the meat is cooked, add birds tongue noodles, as called in Libya, tiny pieces of pasta shaped like a birds tongue, gently simmer for another five to seven minutes, then finish with a hand full of fresh chopped parsley, leave to stand and sprinkle some dried, grounded mint leaves on top, serve hot or warm along with bread and lemon zest.  

 

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