# Egyptian Orzo Soup with Chicken (Lisan Asfour)

> Lisan asfour soup is made by toasting the orzo in ghee until it turns deep golden, then adding hot chicken stock at three cups per cup of pasta and cooking for twelve minutes. The toasting is what gives the soup both its colour and its nutty flavour.

**Egyptian Cuisine · 35 min · 5 servings · 210 kcal per serving**

Orzo soup is the most common soup on an Egyptian table, and its whole flavour rests on one step: toasting the pasta in ghee before any stock touches it.

## Ingredients

- 1 cup — orzo (lisan asfour)
- 3 cups — hot chicken stock
- 2 tbsp — ghee
- 1 tbsp — tomato paste
- 1 small — onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp — salt and pepper

## Method

1. **Soften the onion** — Fry the chopped onion in the ghee until soft and golden.
2. **Toast the orzo** — Add the orzo and stir over medium heat until deep golden — this is the crucial step, and you'll notice the smell turn nutty.
3. **Add the stock** — Stir in the tomato paste for thirty seconds, then pour in the hot stock all at once and check the salt.
4. **Simmer** — Cover and cook over low heat for twelve minutes until the pasta is done and the soup has thickened. If it goes too thick, add half a cup more stock.

## Tips

- The stock must be hot when it goes in — cold stock stalls the cooking and leaves the texture uneven.
- For a creamier result, blend half the soup once cooked and stir it back in.
- A pinch of cumin at the end gives it the familiar Egyptian note.

## FAQ

### Can I finish it in the oven?
Yes — after toasting, put it in a dish with the stock and bake at 200°C for twenty minutes until the top browns.

### Can I use vegetable stock?
Yes, and it becomes fully vegetarian. Add an extra onion and a garlic clove to keep the flavour rich.

### It thickened after cooling. What now?
That's normal — the pasta keeps absorbing. Reheat it and add hot stock a little at a time until it loosens.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/egyptian-cuisine/egyptian-orzo-soup-with-chicken-recipe
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-09-15