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Ramadan Staple · Soup

Sharba Libiya (Libyan Soup)

Sharba Libiya (Libyan Soup) — street food from Libya
📷 Closely related photo — Photo via Pexels/Unsplash — free for commercial use

Many Libyan families eat a bowl of this exact soup every single night for all 30 days of Ramadan.

A tomato-based lamb or beef soup thickened with tiny pasta or orzo and chickpeas, seasoned with dried mint, turmeric, and cinnamon. Sold by market cooks and eateries as the near-universal starter for breaking the Ramadan fast.

Why it's made this way: The soup's combination of easily digestible carbs, protein, and warming spices makes it an ideal dish for gently reawakening the stomach after a full day of fasting.

Roughly what's in it

320kcal
16gprotein
38gcarbs
12gfat
Estimated per typical street-vendor portion — not lab-tested.
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More from Libya

🥤 Qasab Sfinz Lahm Mishwi (Grilled Lamb Skewers) Shai Libi (Libyan Tea)
Part of World of Street Food — 690 dishes from 118 countries. Something wrong here? Tell us in the comments below. Photo credits.