Libyan Sharba with Beef, Red Lentils and Wilted Chard
A weekday version of sharba, the warming Libyan soup of beef, red lentils, and tomato, here finished with wilted Swiss chard and a bright lemon-cilantro lift. Beef plus two lentil sources stack heme and non-heme iron in a single bowl.
- Prep
- 8 min
- Cook
- 17 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Servings
- 1
Ingredients
- 80g (raw, cooks to ~60g)lean beef, finely diced
- 1/3cup (65g dry)red lentils, rinsed
- 1/4cup (50g cooked)chickpeas, cooked
- 1.5cup (45g)Swiss chard, chopped
- 1.5cup (360ml)low-sodium beef broth
- 1/2small (~50g)yellow onion, finely diced
- 1tbsp (14g)extra virgin olive oil
- 2cloves (6g)garlic, minced
- 1tsp (3g)tomato paste
- 1tsp (2g)ground cumin
- 1/2tsp (1g)ground coriander
- 1/4tsp (0.5g)ground cinnamon
- 1/4tsp (0.5g)sweet paprika
- 2tbsp (8g)cilantro, chopped
- 1/2(~25g juice)lemon, juiced
- 1/4tsp (1.5g)sea salt
- 1/8tspblack pepper
Instructions
- 01
Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt; cook 4 minutes until soft and translucent.
- 02
Add the diced beef. Cook 3 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink.
- 03
Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, paprika, and tomato paste. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 04
Pour in the broth and rinsed red lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils break down and thicken the soup.
- 05
Stir in the chickpeas and chard. Simmer 2 minutes until the chard wilts.
- 06
Off heat, stir in the lemon juice and most of the cilantro. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
- 07
Ladle into a bowl and finish with the remaining cilantro.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories
- 498kcal
- Protein
- 32g
- Carbs
- 48g
- Fat
- 18g
- Fiber
- 11g
- Selenium
- 16mcg
- Zinc
- 5mg
- Iron
- 7.5mg
- B12
- 1.8mcg
- Iodine
- 9mcg
- Sodium
- 720mg