Shorbat Hab (شوربة الحب (Shorbat al-ḥab))
Overview
Shorbat hab, grain soup, is the thick soup that opens the evening meal in Saudi Arabia during Ramadan. Small pieces of lamb on the bone, or sometimes chicken, are browned with onion and cooked in a base of peeled tomatoes, tomato paste and water seasoned with cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon and other spices, often with a dried lime. When the meat is tender, oat groats, or in some homes cracked wheat or barley, are stirred in and simmered slowly, with frequent stirring, until the grain melts into a thick, smooth soup. It is served hot in small bowls with a wedge of lemon, chopped coriander and bread.
History
Saudipedia describes al-hab soup as popular in most provinces of the kingdom, and its thick texture links it to other Saudi grain dishes such as jareesh and harees. It holds a central place on Ramadan iftar tables and is also served at Eid and at heritage festivals. In Najran and Jazan it is traditionally served in deep clay pots, and in the Hijaz it is one of the dishes no Ramadan table is without.
Main ingredients
Lamb, oats or cracked wheat, tomatoes, onion, cardamom, black pepper. The soup is built on thick spiced lamb and grain soup and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; not usually gluten-free.
Explore: Lamb soups · Tomato soups · Barley and grains soups
Recipe
Method
- 110 min
Brown the lamb in the oil with the onion for 10 minutes.
- 23 min
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and spices and cook for 3 minutes.
- 345 min
Pour in 2 l water, bring to the boil, skim and simmer for 45 minutes.
- 440 min
Stir in the oats and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring often and adding hot water if it gets too thick.
- 5
Remove the dried lime and cinnamon, season and serve with lemon and coriander.
- ✓
Serve. About 1h 50m from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
