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Afghan

Shorwa

Non-vegetarian

شوروا · shorwa

A simple, nourishing Afghan soup of lamb on the bone simmered with onion, tomato, potatoes, carrots and chickpeas, eaten with naan torn into the broth.

Shorwa is an Afghan soup from Afghanistan, ready in about 2 hours and made with lamb shoulder and potato. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
1 h 45 min
Total
2 h
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
500

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Fry the onions (opens in a new tab) in the oil until golden. Add the lamb and brown on all sides, then the garlic (opens in a new tab), tomatoes (opens in a new tab), turmeric (opens in a new tab), coriander, pepper (opens in a new tab) and salt, and cook for 5 minutes.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Pour in the water, bring to a boil and skim. Cover and simmer gently until the lamb is tender.

    • 60 min
    • low heat

  3. Step 3

    Add the chickpeas (opens in a new tab), potatoes (opens in a new tab) and carrots (opens in a new tab) and simmer until the vegetables are soft.

    • 30 min
    • low heat

  4. Step 4

    Scatter with cilantro (opens in a new tab) and dried mint (opens in a new tab) and serve.

      Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
      How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Afghanistan · Commonly attributedSimilar meat soups (shurpa, shorba) are eaten across Central Asia and Iran.More food from Afghanistan
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Soups · Main courses
    Cooking method
    Simmered, Stewed
    Taste
    savoury, mild, herby
    Diet
    No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · Carb-conscious · Calorie-conscious
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    One-pot · Budget-friendly · Freezer-friendly
    Cook more with
    Lamb shoulder · Potato · Onion · Garlic · Tomato · Turmeric
    Techniques
    Boiling · Simmering · Stewing

    Allergens

    None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    500 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 683 g · recipe makes 6

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 17%
    • Carbohydrate 27%
    • Fat 55%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy500 kcal73 kcal
    Protein22.2 g3.3 g
    Carbohydrate34.8 g5.1 g
    Net carbohydrate28.2 g4.1 g
    Sugars6 g0.9 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre6.7 g1 g
    Fat31.1 g4.6 g
    Saturated fat10.5 g1.5 g
    Trans fat1.2 g0.2 g
    Cholesterol60 mg9 mg
    Sodium971 mg142 mg
    Salt equivalent2.4 g0.4 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    978 mg
    Calcium
    101 mg
    Iron
    2.8 mg
    Magnesium
    70 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    204 µg
    Vitamin C
    30 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.2 µg
    Vitamin B12
    1.9 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    —

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: dried mint.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Tear stale naan into the bowl and pour the hot broth over it — that is how shorwa is often eaten.

    Common mistakes

    • Not skimming the broth when it first boils — it turns cloudy and greasy.

    Serve with

    • Serve with Afghan naan, raw onion and green chillies.

    Food safety

    • Wash hands, boards and knives after handling raw meat.
    • Simmer until the lamb is tender and the soup boils throughout before serving.
    • Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate within 2 hours.

    Storage

    • Refrigerate for 3 days or freeze for 3 months.

    Reheating

    • Bring back to a boil before serving.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 3

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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