If you are looking for something easy to make for the whole family with just a handful of ingredients that everyone loves, this Arabic Lentil Soup is for you. Middle Eastern red lentil soup served with fresh parsley or coriander and a generous drizzle of lemon is all you need to warm up your body and soul.
Why you will love this soup
Our Arabic Lentil Soup aka Shorbat Adas is a healthy, hearty and comforting one-pot meal that you can prepare for the whole family in about 30 minutes. You will just need 6 ingredients, spices, and vegetable broth to make this Lebanese soup.
This recipe is the perfect soup for batch cooking as well, as it can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for 2-3 days using an airtight container or freezer using a freezer-safe container until you want to serve it.
You can add some spice to it if you like spicy food, but we kept this recipe simple and family-friendly.
Our Arabic Lentil Soup is:
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Family-friendly
- Hearty
- A main dish or appetizer
- Middle-eastern style
- Perfect for autumn and winter
- A One-pot meal
- Healthy
How to make Lebanese Lentil Soup
Ingredients
Red lentils. For our vegan lentil soup, we use red lentils as they cook fast and kids love them. You can make this recipe using brown lentils or green lentils but you may need to adjust the cooking time until the legumes are completely cooked.
Fresh vegetables. This recipe is made with finely chopped red or yellow onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and tomato. We add fresh coriander or parsley before serving the meal. You can add more vegetables to this recipe such as sweet potatoes, parsnip, zucchini or leek.
Vegetable stock. Our Arabic Lentil soup is vegan as we use vegetable stock. You may find recipes that call for chicken stock but if you want to keep this meal vegan, you will need vegetable stock. Alternatively, you can use marmite (2 teaspoons), or soy sauce (3 teaspoons).
Spices. Cumin powder, coriander powder, ground turmeric, and ground cinnamon are the spice mix we use for this lentil soup. You can use other spices or leaves such as a bay leaf, nutmeg, or harissa for a little spice.
Salt and black pepper.
Lemon and fresh coriander to serve. Before serving the soup you want to add a generous drizzle of lemon juice and a handful of chopped fresh coriander or parsley.
Step-by-Step Method
This easy red lentil soup can be made following these four simple steps:
- Heat some olive oil in a large pot, we like using our cast-iron pot for one-pot meals, over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add finely chopped garlic, carrot, celery, and tomato. Cook for 7-8 minutes while you keep stirring regularly.
- Add spice mix and lentils. Stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the lentils and completely cooked.
- Using an immersion blender or hand blender, half blend the soup or blend until you have the desired consistency. You can leave the soup without blending, or completely blend it depending on your family's preferences. Serve with drizzled lemon and chopped coriander or parsley.
Serving Suggestions
This hearty Lebanese hot soup can be enjoyed as an appetizer if you serve a smaller bowl or as a main dish served with some Pita Bread or another type of crusty bread on the side.
If you like spicy food but are cooking this meal for the whole family, you may want to add some chili oil directly to your bowl.
Don't forget to serve it with some lemon wedges to add extra lemon if desired.
This soup consistency is quite thick but if you like it thicker, you could add some rice when you add the lentils to make it heartier.
FAQ & Tips
- What type of blender do I need for this recipe? You can use a hand blender. or a food processor.
- Can I make this one-pot meal in the instant pot? Yes. When all the ingredients have been added, seal the pot and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Can I make this recipe using canned lentils? If you haven't got raw lentils, you can use canned lentils. Add them about 5 minutes before blending the soup, as they don't need further cooking.
- Can I freeze this middle eastern lentil soup? Sure! This is a perfect freezer meal. To defrost, simply leave it at room temperature for the day or heat it in a pot over low heat.
- What type of lentils can be used if I don't have red lentils? Green, brown, or yellow lentils. Any type of lentils will work for this recipe as long as you adjust the cooking time.
Arabic Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 carrots finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk finely chopped
- 1 tomato
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 cup red lentils rinsed and picked over
- 4 cup vegetable broth
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lemon to serve
Instructions
- Heat some olive oil in a big pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add finely chopped garlic, carrot, celery, and tomato. Cook for 7-8 minutes while you keep stirring regularly.
- Add spice mix and red lentils. Stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the lentils and completely cooked.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Using an immersion blender or hand blender, half blend the soup or blend until you have the desired consistency.
- Serve with drizzled lemon and chopped coriander or parsley.
Nutrition
If you tried our recipe, please leave a comment or tag us on Instagram @Sixhungryfeet. We are always happy to see your creations!
Janet Carlin says
Very easy to make, a filling, hearty soup. The lemon juice and fresh coriander at the end really lifts it. Will certainly make it regularly now.
Laura says
Thank you Janet! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂