Yemeni Lamb Shorba
A hearty and flavorful Yemeni lamb soup, rich with spices and tender lamb. Shorba is a general term for soup in many Middle Eastern cuisines, and this Yemeni version is particularly robust.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 kg Lamb shoulder or leg(bone-in, cut into large pieces)
- 2 large Onions(roughly chopped)
- 3 medium Carrots(peeled and roughly chopped)
- 2 stalks Celery stalks(roughly chopped)
- 5 cloves Garlic cloves(smashed)
- 400 g Tomatoes(diced)
- 3 liters Water or lamb broth
- 2 tsp Ground cumin
- 1.5 tsp Ground coriander
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Black peppercorns
- 4 whole Cloves
- 5 pods Cardamom pods(lightly crushed)
- 1 stick Cinnamon stick
- 2 leaves Bay leaves
- 1.5 tsp Salt(or to taste)
- 0.25 cup Fresh parsley(chopped, for garnish)
- 2 tbsp Fresh mint(chopped, for garnish)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, add the lamb pieces, chopped onions, carrots, celery, smashed garlic, diced tomatoes, cumin, coriander, turmeric, black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves.
- 2
Pour in the water or lamb broth, ensuring the lamb is fully submerged. Add salt.
- 3
Bring the soup to a rolling boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot tightly, and let it simmer gently for at least 2 hours, or until the lamb is extremely tender and falling off the bone.
- 4
During the last 30 minutes of simmering, you can remove some of the larger vegetable pieces if desired, or leave them in for a heartier soup.
- 5
Once the lamb is tender, carefully remove the lamb pieces from the pot. You can shred the meat from the bones and return it to the soup, or serve the larger pieces whole.
- 6
Skim off any excess fat from the surface of the soup if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- 7
Ladle the hot shorba into bowls. Garnish generously with fresh chopped parsley and mint before serving.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Using bone-in lamb adds more flavor to the broth.
- ✓For a clearer broth, skim off the impurities that rise to the surface during the initial boiling phase.
- ✓This soup is excellent for making ahead, as the flavors meld and deepen overnight.
🔄 Variations
- Add a handful of small pasta shapes (like orzo or ditalini) during the last 20 minutes of cooking.
- For a thicker soup, you can mash some of the cooked vegetables against the side of the pot.
- A squeeze of fresh lemon juice just before serving can brighten the flavors.