🇪🇹 Ethiopian · Beef & Lamb Dishes
🍵 Ethiopian Beef Soup
ሲሮ ወጥ / የሥጋ ሾርባ — Yesiga Shorba
Ethiopian Yesiga Shorba — beef bones and meat simmered for 90 minutes with onion, garlic, ginger, and Ethiopian spices into a deep, restorative broth. The healing soup of Ethiopia — given to the sick, the recovering, and the new mother.
Ethiopian beef soup is the simplest expression of the country's deeply nourishing cooking philosophy — good bones, water, time, and a few spices produce a soup of genuine healing power. Given to new mothers, to the sick, and drunk from a cup on cold mornings in the highlands.
Ingredients
Equipment: Large pot
- 800g beef bones (with some meat)
- 2 litres water
- 1 onion — halved
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp ginger — sliced
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp salt
- Fresh coriander to garnish
- Lime wedges
Method
- Place bones and meat in pot. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil.
- Skim foam thoroughly — 5 minutes of skimming.
- Add onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, pepper, and coriander.
- Simmer on lowest heat for 80—90 minutes.
- Strain. Return broth to pot.
- Remove meat from bones. Return meat to broth.
- Season. Garnish with coriander. Serve with lime.
Chef Tips
- Skim foam thoroughly — determines the clarity and cleanliness of the broth.
- The lowest possible simmer produces the clearest broth.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not skimming foam.
- Boiling instead of simmering — cloudy result.
The Science
See TZA034 for bone broth cooking science.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Rich in collagen and gelatin.
- Bone minerals — calcium, phosphorus.
- Turmeric anti-inflammatory.
- Highly digestible.
Cultural Note
Ethiopian beef soup is the nourishment of care — the food that Ethiopian families make when someone needs healing. The slow simmering of bones is an act of patience and love.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Refrigerate 5 days. Freeze 3 months.
Reheating: Bring to boil before serving.
Serve with: As a standalone healing drink, With injera for a light meal