In many Egyptian homes, the bowl of soup is the first thing on the table: hot, with a smell that opens the appetite, getting you ready for what comes next. But not every soup suits every meal. A light soup before a heavy casserole is one thing; a rich soup before fatteh is something else entirely.
Rokn Warda's menu has three Egyptian soups, each with its own character. This guide helps you choose the right start to your meal.
All three in one table
| Soup | Menu description | Feel | Goes with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orzo soup | A warm soup rich in Egyptian flavours | The lightest | Grills and heavy casseroles |
| Lentil soup | Egyptian lentils with vegetables and oriental spices | Warm and filling | Grills, hawawshi and mahshi |
| Trotters soup | A rich, hearty trotters soup with a special oriental seasoning | The richest | A light main and salad |
The last column is a suggestion many people follow, not a rule. In the end you decide.
Orzo soup: the light start
Lisan asfour («bird's tongue») is a very small pasta whose grains look like rice or a bird's tongue, hence the name. In Egyptian homes this soup is usually made on meat or chicken broth, and it comes out light and warm.
Why choose it?
- If your main dish is heavy, like a casserole or plenty of grills.
- If children are with you: its taste is gentle and many children love it.
- If you want something hot to start without filling up early.
Important: orzo soup is not marked «vegetarian» on the menu, so if you avoid broth, ask our staff before ordering.
Lentil soup: warm and filling
Lentil soup is one of Egypt's best-known soups, especially in winter and in Ramadan. In Egyptian homes it is usually made from yellow lentils with onion, carrot and sometimes tomato, blended smooth, with a clear taste of cumin.
Its customs at the Egyptian table:
- A squeeze of lemon before eating.
- Toasted or crisp bread beside it or in it.
- Some add fried onion or extra cumin, and some like a little chilli.
Lentil soup on Rokn Warda's menu is marked «vegetarian», so it suits anyone at the table who does not eat meat. That is the menu's guide; if you have an allergy or a strict diet, ask our staff. Since it is fairly filling, start with it if you are hungry; if a heavy dish is coming, you may prefer the lighter one.
Trotters soup: for lovers of rich food
Trotters soup is a story of its own: a heavy, rich broth with a gelatinous texture that its fans love. In Egyptian homes it is usually eaten with garlic and lemon, and it is tied to winter and Eid days.
This is not a «light start»; it is closer to a meal. So if you choose it, keep the main light: a grill and salad, say, not fatteh or a heavy casserole. If it is your first time with trotters, read trotters in Al Khobar: soup, fatteh or casserole?, and for their story in Egypt trotters in Egypt: the dish of winter and Eid.
How to choose by your main dish
With grills
Kebab, kofta and chicken shish, or mixed grills: grills come without sauce, so soup adds warmth. Lentil or orzo both suit.
With casseroles in sauce
Like the okra and beef casserole or a potato casserole: the casserole already has sauce and often rice, so orzo is the lightest start.
With fatteh, trotters or mombar
These are rich on their own. Either the light orzo soup, or skip soup altogether. Better not to combine trotters soup and fatteh in one meal unless you really love rich food.
With hawawshi or mahshi
Lentil soup with meat hawawshi is a warm, well-known pairing, and with mahshi it makes a mostly vegetarian meal.
If the table is full
Not everyone has to have the same soup. At Egyptian gatherings each person picks to their taste: the hungry one takes lentil, the one planning a casserole takes orzo, and the lover of rich food takes trotters. That way the table is varied and everyone is happy.
Soup in the Egyptian home: small customs that matter
- Always hot: soup is had as soon as it arrives, before the rest of the food.
- Lemon on lentil and trotters soup, and in some homes on orzo too.
- Toasted bread is soup's companion, especially lentil.
- In Ramadan soup is usually the first hot dish after dates and a drink; more in Egyptian dishes for Ramadan iftar.
If you order delivery, start with the soup as soon as the order arrives; if it has cooled a little, warm it in a pot over low heat rather than boiling it hard. For planning the whole order read ordering Egyptian food in Al Khobar and Dammam: the complete-meal guide.
Frequently asked questions
Which soup is lightest? Usually orzo is the lightest, then lentil, and trotters is the richest.
Is the orzo soup vegetarian? It is not marked «vegetarian» on Rokn Warda's menu, and in Egyptian homes it is usually made on broth. If you avoid meat, choose the lentil soup, which is marked «vegetarian», and ask our staff if you follow a strict diet.
Is any of the soups spicy? None of the three is marked «spicy» on the menu. If you like chilli, many people add it themselves to lentil soup.
Can a soup be dinner on its own? Many people find lentil soup with a salad a light dinner. Ask about quantity when you order. For more light-dinner ideas read Egyptian dishes for lunch and dinner.
Start your meal right
Choose the soup by the dish that follows it: light before something heavy, filling if you are hungry, rich if it is the meal itself. Order from the menu for delivery to the Al Khobar and Dammam districts shown at ordering, or have it hot in Rokn Warda's dining room in Al Khobar and book on the reservation page. On winter nights, see also Egyptian winter dishes in Saudi Arabia.
