This easy to make Lebanese Lentil Soup (Shorbet Adas) recipe is full of flavors, super easy to make, nutritious and very filling. It is made with only 4 simple ingredients you already have in your pantry. It is one of the most comforting soup to have during the month of Ramadan.
COMFORTING LEBANSESE LENTIL SOUP (SHORBET ADAS) FOR RAMADAN:
With Ramadan starting in just less than one week, I am so excited to share with you some of my favorite dishes that I personally enjoy having during the wholly month of Ramadan. This the first year that I decide to do this because I have had many requests in the past during this month, asking if I would be posting dishes people can make during Ramadan. If you are not familiar with Ramadan, it is the most sacred month of the year in Islamic culture. It is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and the holy month of fasting. it begins and ends with the appearance of the new moon. Muslims around the worth fast from dawn-to-dusk daily for 30 days. It is also a time where families gather and get together to celebrate this wholly month.
MORE ABOUT LEBANESE LENTIL SOUP (SHORBET ADAS):
Lentil Soups (Shorbet Adas) are very low in calories, packed with iron and folate and very high in proteins. Lentils are complex carbohydrates that help boost your metabolism and also helps the body burn fat. It is a must have in Ramadan for my family. There are many versions to this soup based on where you come from. I am sharing the basic version. No cream or anything. But I do add some extra spices in there that I personally like. I am a huge fan of spices. I use them with everything, and I use quite a bit. I like my meals to have bold flavors where the spices stand out. My husband doesn’t like spices. He would rather have no spices. So you can always prepare it based on your personal preferences.
A LITTLE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:
I am happy to be able to share these recipes with you because based on experience I know how much people crave certain things while they are fasting, and some may not know how to make these dishes to fulfill their cravings. Many of you may be away from your home, away from your family, away from middle eastern restaurants because your area just doesn’t have those places around you. I have been there. We literally have nothing around us and if we happen to find any, it’s nothing like the original Lebanese recipe we eat back home or what our mothers cooked for us while we still lived with them. It’s nothing like your home made recipes. (Unless you Live in Dearborn, Michigan)
When I moved to Missouri, I knew nothing about cooking. I craved all these things, but couldn’t have them. I eventually taught myself. One time after another, I perfected these recipes and nothing was hard anymore. If I want to make something, I learned how to make it. Nothing is hard. It only get easier. Practice makes perfect.
While some people only prefer eating certain Middles Eastern dishes during Ramadan, I usually eat everything. I do have my favorites though, which are a must have during Ramadan. For example, soup and some sort of a salad daily. I try to stay away from rice because it’s heavier on the stomach after fasting all day. I like having lighter meals, including soup and salad on daily bases. I will be sharing only the simpler recipes with you, ones you can easily make and it’s not too overwhelming for beginners.
HOW TO MAKE THE LEBANESE LENTIL SOUP (SHORBET ADAS):
This Lebanese Lentil Soup (Shorbet Adas) is one of the healthiest soup you will have. The majority of the cooking part is boiling the ingredients until they are very well cooked. Start by washing the red lentils and wash until the water is pretty much see though. I like washing them very well to remove all the unwanted starch that comes along with it. Place in a pot and add the carrots, cubed onions and potato cubes. I never really measure the water because it will eventually evaporate while its boiling and you will have to add more water as you cook it.
I used a medium sized pot, and I fill it up until its quarter of the way full. Usually right where the handles are. Now if you use a taller pot, that wont be the case for you. I would say I used about 2.3-3 liters total of water. Don’t stress too much if you put a little too much water. After the lentils have cooked very well until they are completely crushed, turn off the heat and let the soup settle in the bottom. The liquids will float on the top and you can remove some and set them inside in case you needed it later. You should have just enough liquid to the consistency you want it to be. Once you blend everything together, you will have an idea of how thick it is and you can always add more. I usually leave about 2 inches of water above the settled lentils. It always comes out perfect and gives you a chances to add more later if you need to. The boiling part should take about 45 minutes to 1 hour on medium heat.
At this point you can use a blender to blend everything up into a very smooth creamy texture. You can use a hand blender too just make sure you get all the pieces of veggies in there. After you blend the soup, place them back in the pot and add the spice mixture. To prevent having clumps of spices, I mix them with two tablespoons of water I reserved from the soup and then pour them all into the pot again. Add enough salt to taste. It will need a quite a bit for it to taste. Start with 1 tbsps. of salt before you add more. I think 1 tbsp. should be more than enough but it’s up to your taste. Add in the chopped parsley and let the soup simmer on low heat and boil for another 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally to avoid any sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Before serving adding ¼ cup of lemon juice and turn off the heat. Let the soup cool down for 5-10 minutes before serving to avoid getting your mouth burned. Another thing you can do is caramelize some sweet onions and add them to the soup after you blend the ingredients. My husband and kids are not a fan of onions but I LOVE that. We also love add some fresh fried pita with our soup. You can definitely spray them bread with some olive oil and grill it in the oven for a healthier option. As for me, no diet during Ramadan. I eat everything my heart desires when I fast because I am usually without food all day and won’t be watching my calories after that. Life is too short. Enjoy the food!
I absolutely love fasting. While some people see it as the hardest month of the year, I feel like Ramadan is my most favorite month of the year. I may not be a very religious person, but I feel like this is the time I feel so close to God and I feel so blessed that I have perfect health to be able to complete this blessed month without any complications standing in the way.
I hope you enjoy all the recipes I will share with you including this delicious and simple Lebanese Lentil Soup (Shorbet Adas) recipe whether you are fasting of not. And if you are, may Allah bless and accept your prayers and fasting during this wholly month. I hope you Try it, Enjoy it, and Share it with your friends and family. You can also sign up for my blog newsletter to receive all the new recipes that I will be posting straight to your inbox. tag me on INSTAGRAM so I can see your delicious recreations. Until our next recipe. XoXo…
OTHER RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE:
Oven Roasted Parmesan Herbed Potatoes
Sweet and Chili Shrimp Stir Fry
Lebanese Lentil Soup (Shorbet Adas)
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups red lentil
- 1 medium onion cubed
- 1 small sized carrot peeled and cubed
- 1 medium golden potato or any potato, peeled cubed
- 2 tsp. cumin powder
- 1 tsp. fine black pepper
- 1 tbsp. salt or more
- ½ tsp 7 spice optional, if you have it handy
- 2.5-3 liters of water
- 1 tbsps. fresh chopped parsley
- Fried Pita Bread optional
- Caramelized onions very finely chopped, Optional
Instructions
- Wash lentils until the water becomes almost clear after you rinse them. No froth what so ever after you wash it.
- Place in pot and add the potatoes, onions and carrots. Add enough water to fill a medium sized bot ¾ of the way through. About 2.5-3 liters of water.
- Boil for at least 45 minutes to an hour until the lentils have melted completely.
- Turn off the heat and let the soup rest for about 10 minutes. Remove any excess water and save aside to add later if needed.
- If you are blending the soup with a hand mixer you can do so right away. If you are blending with a regular blender, let it cool a bit before you blend to avoid burning yourself or be very careful while you blend it hot.
- Blend until it’s super creamy, leaving no chunks behind. I blend for at least 1 minute on high to get a very nice texture.
- Return to the pot, add in the spice mixture (after you mix with water), salt and parsley.
- Bring to boil and then simmer on low for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent any sticking on the bottom.
- Remove from heat and add in the lemon juice. Wait for the soup to cool down a few minutes before serving to prevent your mouth from burning.
- Serve with some crushed fried pita and enjoy.
What is the 7 spice mixture please?
I buy mine ready made. It’s called 7 spice. You can find it at the Arabic stores. It’s sabaa bharat. You can also find it on amazon. It’s a mixture of all spice, cloves, nutmeg, fenugreek, ginger, cinnamon and black pepper. You can easily skip it for this soup if you like. It will still taste great.