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A Libyan Soup
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Xarba Arbija – A Libyan Soup Recipe

Xarba Arbija is a very filling soup and it closely resembled the Lentil Soup. This Libyan soup had a liberal quantity of the five spice also called Hararat. This is a very classic Libya Five Spice blend that is used in many soup recipes.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 35 minutes
Course: dinner
Cuisine: African, libya
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 165kcal
Author: Sandhya Ramakrishnan

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker
  • spatula

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Red lentils/masoor dal Washed and drained
  • 1 can Chickpeas Cooked or canned (drained and rinsed) or about 200 gms cooked
  • 500 ml Vegetable broth About 2 cups
  • 500 ml Water About 2 cups
  • 1 Onion Finely chopped
  • 2 cloves Garlic Minced
  • 1 large Carrot Finely chopped
  • 1 large Potato Skin removed and finely chopped
  • 3 Tomato Chopped
  • 2 tbsp. Hararat See below for recipe
  • ½ teaspoon Chili powder
  • 2 teaspoon Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Sugar
  • to taste Salt

TO MAKE THE HARARAT OR THE LIBYAN FIVE SPICE BLEND –

  • 2 Red chilies
  • 4 teaspoon Coriander seeds
  • 4 teaspoon Cumin seeds
  • 2 stick Cinnamon Broken into pieces
  • 1 teaspoon All spice

Instructions

TO MAKE THE HARARAT –

  • Dry roast the red chilies, cinnamon, cumin, and coriander seeds until fragrant (about 2-3 mins). Once the spices are roasted add the allspice and then give it one stir. Turn off the flame and let it cool down.
  • Grind the roasted spices into a fine powder using a spice blender and store in an airtight container for future use.

TO MAKE THE SOUP –

  • Heat oil in a deep pot and add the chopped onions and garlic. Saute until softened (for about 5 mins).
  • Add the chopped vegetables and fry them for 5 more minutes.
  • Now add the hararat spice, chili powder, salt, sugar, and the tomatoes and mix well. Let it cook for about 5 mins more. Add the salt carefully since the broth will have some salt in it.
  • Add the washed and drained lentils and mix it well. Add the vegetable stock and water.
  • Bring it to a boil and then simmer for about 40 mins or until the lentils are cooked.
  • Now add the cooked or canned chickpeas and let it cook for 15 more mins.
  • Check for the consistency of the soup and add more water if it is too thick.
  • Serve hot with lemon wedges on the side or with some crusty bread.

Nutrition

Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 364mg | Potassium: 511mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2838IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 3mg