🇪🇹 Ethiopian · Beef & Lamb Dishes
🍵 Ethiopian Lamb Soup
የበግ ሾርባ — Ye-Beg Shorba
Ethiopian Lamb Soup — lamb bones and meat simmered slowly with Ethiopian aromatic spices into a light, deeply flavourful broth. The celebration soup — served at weddings and religious feasts as the opener, before the main wats appear.
Lamb shorba is the Ethiopian celebration soup — lighter and more fragrant than beef shorba, it is served as the opening of a lamb celebration feast. The lamb bones produce a cleaner, more delicately flavoured broth than beef.
Ingredients
Equipment: Large pot
- 1 kg lamb bones and meat — ribs and shoulder
- 2 litres water
- 1 onion — halved
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp ginger
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 2 tsp salt
- Fresh parsley and lime
Method
- See ETH034 — substitute lamb bones for beef.
- Lamb fat is lighter than beef fat — the broth will be less rich.
- Simmer 75—80 minutes.
Chef Tips
- Cardamom is the distinction for lamb shorba — it pairs beautifully with lamb.
- Lamb broth is lighter in colour than beef — a paler golden.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not skimming foam.
The Science
Lamb fat has a higher proportion of shorter-chain fatty acids than beef — these are more flavourful and more aromatic when dissolved into the broth, producing the characteristic fragrance of lamb shorba.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Collagen from lamb bones.
- Cardamom aids digestion.
- Light and easily digestible.
Cultural Note
Lamb shorba at an Ethiopian celebration is the announcement that something wonderful is coming — the light, fragrant soup that opens the appetite before the great wats arrive.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Refrigerate 4 days. Freeze 3 months.
Reheating: Bring to boil.
Serve with: As the celebration opener, With injera on the side