Lebanese red lentil soup
45 min · 22 g protein · 369 cals / serving
Shorbat adas, the everyday lentil soup of Lebanon: red lentils, onion and carrot simmered with cumin until they collapse, then blended silky smooth and finished with plenty of lemon. It is golden, earthy and bright at the same time, served with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh parsley on top.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, Aleppo pepper if you have it
- 1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed
- 6 1/4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp lemon juice, plus lemon wedges to serve
To serve
- 2 tsp olive oil
- a handful fresh parsley, chopped
Steps
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the onion and carrot for 8–10 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic for the last minute.
- Stir in the cumin, coriander, turmeric and pepper flakes for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the lentils, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 20–25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils have completely fallen apart.
- Blend the soup until smooth with a stick blender (or in batches in a blender, with the lid vented). Stir in the lemon juice, then thin with a splash of water if it is thicker than you like and taste for salt and lemon.
- Ladle into bowls, drizzle each with a little olive oil and scatter over the parsley. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.
Good to know
Is it supposed to be this lemony?
Yes, the lemon is what makes this soup Lebanese rather than just a lentil soup. Add it at the end, off the boil, so it stays bright, and put extra wedges on the table.
Make it heartier?
Some families add a diced potato or a handful of rice with the lentils, for a thicker soup. Toasted pita croutons on top are a classic finish.
Does it freeze?
Very well, for up to three months. It thickens as it cools, so loosen it with water when reheating and add a fresh squeeze of lemon.
Alternatives
Per
- Calories
- 70
- Protein
- (21%)
- 4 g
- Fat
- (20%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (59%)
- 13 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 310 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 1477 kcal goes into the pot and 2258 g of ingredients comes out as about 2100 g of food: 70 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.