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This easy to make traditional 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 and only takes 5 minutes of prep. It is one of the most comforting soup to have during the month of Ramadan.
With Ramadan starting this week, I am so excited to share with you some of my favorite dishes that I personally enjoy having during the holy month. This Lebanese Lentil Soup is low in fat and high in protein, it’s a hearty vegan soup you will love!
For more Ramadan recipes, be sure to check out my Pistachio Maamoul Cookies and Turkish Bulgur Salad.
Why you’ll love this Lebanese Lentil Soup
- A healthy soup. This lentil soup is very low in calories, packed with iron and folate and very high in proteins.
- Loaded with spices (or not!). This is a versatile soup, it’s tasty without spices but it’s also a bowl that welcomes spices with open arms! Cumin and 7 spice add many layers of flavor. I am a huge fan of spices, I use them with everything. 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.
- An easy soup. Just 5 mins to prep and throw together mainly using kitchen staples, this is a breeze to whip up!
Ingredients you’ll need
- Red lentils: Use dried red lentils.
- Vegetables: Onions, carrots, potatoes.
- Water: Nothing special here, just use tap water for the liquid in this soup.
- Spices: Cumin, 7 spice, salt & pepper.
- Fresh Parsley
- Toppings: Fried pita bread and caramelized onions.
How To Make Lebanese Lentil Soup
- Prep the lentils: Rinse the lentils in a fine mesh sieve until the water runs clear.
- Prep the veggies: Cut the vegetables and place them in a large pot with the lentils.
- Boil: Add the water and bring the pot to a boil until the lentils and vegetables soften. This will take around 45 minutes to an hour.
- Blend: Use an immersion blender to blend the soup into a smooth and creamy texture.
- Season: Add back to the pot and stir in the spices and chopped parsley.
- Simmer: Cook on a lower heat for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the lemon juice and let the soup cool down for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Adjust the amount of water to suit your tastes. You can add more water during cooking and after blending if needed. I usually leave 2 inches of water above the settled lentils.
- Mix the spices with water before adding them to the soup. Mix the spices with 2 tablespoons of water, it will help the combine easier so you don’t end up with clumps of spices.
- Swap out golden potatoes for sweet potatoes or butternut squash. If you want a flavor and texture twist!
- Add some greens. If you want to add some more veggies, toss in some swiss chard or kale.
- Add salt to taste. Taste the soup once you’ve blended it and add more if you like.
- Give it a spicy kick! top the soup with some crushed red chili flakes for a hit of spiciness.
- Make the soup in a heavy bottomed pan or dutch oven. They will distribute the heat more evenly so are less likely to form hotspots than can burn the soup.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the soup. This is the easiest way, but you can also ladle the soup into a stand blender in portions. Just be careful as it will be very hot.
FAQ’s
What is Lebanese Lentil Soup (Shorbet Adas)?
This soup 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.
Is Lentil Soup healthy?
Absolutely! Lentil soup is soup-er healthy(!). Lentils are a great source of plant-based protein and packed with vitamins and minerals, like iron and folate. As proteins go, they’re a very affordable too!
Can you make it ahead of time?
This soup is great to make ahead of time, perfect for easy to grab meals! Let the soup cool to room temperature and then place it an airtight container and it will keep well in the fridge for around 4 to 5 days. You can reheat the soup on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Can you freeze it?
Yes, this soup freezes really well, so be sure to make a double batch! Let it cool to room temperature before freezing in an airtight container or freezer bags. Thaw the soup in the fridge overnight before reheating on the stovetop. You may need to add a little water to the pot when you reheat it.
Can you use green lentils in this soup?
I prefer the taste of red lentils, but you can absolutely swap them for green lentils if that’s what you have. Green lentils may require a slightly longer cooking time.
What goes with this Lebanese Lentil Soup?
This soup is hearty, delicious and excellent on its own but is also great served with some bread, such as pita or sourdough. Also, soup and salads love each other! Serve this up with a leafy salad, such as:
More Lebanese Recipes
- Lebanese Hummus with Spiced Meat
- Easy Beef Shawarma Bowl
- Lebanese Spicy Potatoes (Batata Harra)
- Lebanese Cheese Rolls
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this delicious Lebanese Lentil Soup (Shorbet Adas) recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it and share it with your friends and family!
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Lebanese Lentil Soup (Shorbet Adas)
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups red lentil
- 1 medium onion, cubed
- 1 large carrot, peeled and cubed
- 1 small 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
- 12 cups water
- 2 tbsps. chopped parsley, fresh
- 3 whole lemons, juiced (about ¾-1 cup) adjust per preference
- 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 the lentils in a large pot and add the potatoes, onions and carrots. Add enough water to fill the pot about ¾ of the way through. About 12 cups of water.
- Boil for at least 45 minutes to an hour until the lentils have softened completely.
- Turn off the heat and let the soup rest for about 10 minutes. Remove some excess water (if any) and set 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 creamy 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.
Video
Notes
- Adjust the amount of water to suit your tastes. You can add more water during cooking and after blending if needed. I usually leave 2 inches of water above the settled lentils.
- Mix the spices with water before adding them to the soup. Mix the spices with 2 tablespoons of water, it will help the combine easier so you don’t end up with clumps of spices.
- Swap out golden potatoes for sweet potatoes or butternut squash. If you want a flavor and texture twist!
- Add some greens. If you want to add some more veggies, toss in some swiss chard or kale.
- Add salt to taste. Taste the soup once you’ve blended it and add more if you like.
- Give it a spicy kick! top the soup with some crushed red chili flakes for a hit of spiciness.
- Make the soup in a heavy bottomed pan or dutch oven. They will distribute the heat more evenly so are less likely to form hotspots than can burn the soup.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the soup. This is the easiest way, but you can also ladle the soup into a stand blender in portions. Just be careful as it will be very hot.
Does this have to be red lentils, cant find them at grocerystore? Are they better to use, because if so I will just order some. Can’t wait to try!
Hi Alice,
Unfortunately not. This is specifically done with that type of lentils. If you have any bulk food stores near you, you can find it there. Like whole foods, sprouts. Or any middle eastern store near you.
Can you clarify what the serving size is for the nutrition information? I’m thinking it’s supposed to be more than one gram! Making this today and I’m looking forward to it
Hello Naomi,
it’s 8 servings, about 2 full soup spoons for each bowl.
Thank you!! This was the very best lentil soup ever!! I have been missing my favorite restaurant (I moved to a smaller city) that had Lebanese lentil soup…. And this was exactly it! I followed the recipe exactly (bought the spices to make the 7 spice) and it was amazing. Thanks for sharing!!
So happy to hear that. Thanks for leaving the review. I love hearing everyone’s wonderful feedback.
Love this recipe- takes time but absolutely yummy. I make it without the 7 spice as I don’t have it
Hi Deepti,
Glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for the review.
Why not put the spices or at least salt in while the lentils and vegetables are boiling so the vegetables and lentils get seasoned as they boil? At least the salt in while boiling? What do you think?
You can if you like, but if you have too much water, you will remove the spices with it when you have to reduce the water. I prefer doing it at the end.
Hello,
What’s the purpose of the potato and carrot? Does it change the flavor or texture. I’ve made this soup before but a different recipe and I want to try this one but just curious to why the carrot and potato.
Also my soup tends to be a bit thick and when I add a little more water it loses some flavor. Any tips?
Thank you,
Love ur videos/recipes. I follow u on Instagram
Hi there. I like to add the carrots for color, and the potatoes to thicken it up a little and gives it a creamy texture.
As for adding the water, you also need to add a little bit more salt after that and spices and you will be fine.
Please show the amount if each ingredient. Thank you
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for those details.
I can’t see it either…
Hi Destina!
Sorry the problem has been fixed. There was a glitch.
Where is this recipe card? I can’t find it!!!
Hey Jill!
Sorry there was a glitch after I added the video to the recipe card. It made the card disappear. I uploaded it again.
Hi Kathy,
Thanks so much for pointing that out. It’s so weird I added a bunch of videos to some recipes and for some weird reason all of their recipe cards disappeared after that. I just reloaded the recipe card again.
I will try this in my instant pot. Just curious— did you mean holy as in sacred instead of wholly as in completely when talking about Ramadan?
Hi Terry,
Holy as in sacred. Like the holy bible. It’s a holy religious month.
I just have to say thank you so much for this recipe. I have been trying for years to find a recipe that was a good match for the lentil soup at one of my favorite restaurants. I knew it had carrots, potatoes, and lentils, but every recipe I tried did not quite have the same flavor profile. Today I have found the perfect homemade lentil soup. We will make this one over and over again.
Hi Heather
So happy you enjoyed this recipe. It’s one of my favorite! Thanks so much for your review.
One of my favorite
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.
Thank You
Thank You I Lived
Almost Nine Years
In The Middle East
My Children
Are Hafe Lebanse And LEBANESE Is
One Of My Favorite
Country In The, World Love The People And The Food. It’s The Greatest, The Cultural Of The
Lebanese Is So
Wonderful. Yes I’m Roman Catholic,
And Full German.
We Have Wonderful Food And A Most Wonderful Country
To Me In The World.
But Lebanon Still Is In My Heart Too,
Everyone Still Made
To Feel At Home.
And To This Day I Still Make All The Food, To Keep It
Alive In My Heart.
My Children And Grandchildren Ask Me Th Make Lebanese Food For Our Holidays.
Thank You Once Again F ok r The Recipe’s God Bless
Rose Lynn Catherine Chaaban
So nice to hear your story Rose Lynn. Glad you enjoy the Lebanese recipes I post.