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This satisfying Middle Eastern red lentil soup recipe is easy to make with just a few simple ingredients, and has rich, deep flavor and creamy texture. It’s traditionally served to break your fast during Ramadan, but it’s also a delicious first course for any meal, and it makes a great light lunch.
I wanted to write a post about Ramadan earlier (since it’s already the 16th day!), but time has been flying by. (Update: I wrote and originally published this post on the 16th day of Ramadan in 2009.)
Red lentil soup (called “shorbat adas” in Arabic) is very popular during Ramadan. It’s hearty, creamy, and delicious, naturally gluten free, and serves as the perfect tool to whet your appetite.
There are many different versions of this lentil soup. You can add beef, chicken, or other veggies like carrots and celery. This is the most basic version, but don’t let that fool you! This easy soup has rich flavor and creamy texture.
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the Islamic holy month of fasting. It’s a time for prayer, reflection, and giving charity. During Ramadan, fasting is done from sunrise to sunset to teach you patience, discipline, and empathy for others who aren’t as fortunate.
Each day the fast ends with prayer followed by a meal called iftar.
I lived in different areas of the Middle East (Jordan, Syria, and Kuwait), and I had the incredible experience of participating in Ramadan. Despite being hungry and thirsty, it was a truly wonderful time.
During Ramadan, in the Middle East towns come alive at night, and it’s very celebratory. Special meals and sweets are served. People gather together to break bread after sundown, and it leads to hours of talking and laughing and feasting.
What Do You Eat During Ramadan?
After not eating all day during Ramadan, there are a few typical foods that you break the fast with, and then a big meal is eaten.
How to Break the Fast
Each day during Ramadan, the fast is typically broken broken with dates and a sip of water. But be careful not to drink too much water or you’ll be too full to eat, and trust me, that would be a shame after not eating all day!
The First Course
After eating one or two dates, you move on to the first course, which is typically some kind of soup, frequently this red lentil soup. (As you can imagine, meals during Ramadan usually involve several courses.)
The Main Course
Then comes the main course, which can be a pretty elaborate spread. The main course is similar to a large Sunday supper or sometimes even a holiday dinner. It may include several different dishes of meat, rice, potatoes, beautiful salads (like salad shirazi), and/or vegetables. To give you an idea of the variation, think along the lines of roasted chicken and vegetables with mashed potatoes and gravy, and then add pot roast, then add candied sweet potatoes, then add green bean casserole. You get the idea.
The good thing about this is that once you make a feast like this, you probably won’t have to cook again for at least another two or three days (depending on how big your family is), thanks to leftovers.
Coffee and Dessert
After the main course comes the coffee, and not just any coffee, but rich, dark, almost velvety Turkish coffee (which is so incredibly delicious!). But of course the idea of having coffee alone is simply unheard of, and so there must be sweets.
The sweets of Ramadan are really something to be desired. Traditionally, ma’amoul are served, which are the most amazing date-filled cookies with a flaky pastry crust that literally melt in your mouth.
What Foods Do You Avoid During Ramadan?
There are certain foods that are usually avoided during Ramadan, such as salty foods that make you very thirsty (such as shakriya) and foods that make you bloated (like hummus or falafel). Once the holy month of fasting ends, it’s traditional to have a meal that includes some of the foods that were avoided.
My Cookbook: An Edible Mosaic
Check out my Middle Eastern cookbook An Edible Mosaic for more authentic recipes and cultural tidbits that I picked up during my time spent living in the Middle East.
The Red Lentil Soup Recipe I Learned to Make in the Middle East
This red lentil soup recipe is a masterpiece, and I can’t take credit for it. I learned how to make it from my Syrian ex-mother-in-law Sahar when I lived in the Middle East. And she made it to suit her Palestinian husband’s palate!
The recipe starts by sautéing onion in olive oil, which creates a flavorful base. Sahar always used chicken bouillon cubes to add rich saltiness and depth of flavor, but I like to use chicken stock. Of course, feel free to use vegetable stock to make this soup vegan.
Spices are minimal here; just bay leaf, cumin, and black pepper. You can add salt to taste, depending on how salty your stock is. This soup is served with a couple wedges of fresh lemon to squeeze on top, which brightens up the flavor immensely. All in all, I think you’ll be surprised at how delicious this soup is, despite its simplicity.
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Olive oil – To start, we sauté onion in olive oil to create a rich, flavorful base for this soup.
- Onion – Adds savory depth.
- Dried red lentils – Red lentils (as opposed to green or brown lentils) make a luscious, velvety soup. Unlike other types of lentils, red lentils are typically sold split with their skins removed. This means that red lentils cook faster and result in a creamier soup.
- Bay leaves – Bay leaves contribute to the overall depth of flavor.
- Cumin – Cumin is a traditional spice pairing with lentils (and legumes in general) in Middle Eastern cuisine for two reasons. Firstly, it lends a delicious earthy, subtly smoky warmth that pairs well with the flavor of lentils. And secondly, my mother-in-law always told me that cumin has digestive benefits, helping break down legumes and preventing gas and bloating.
- Black pepper – A touch of black pepper adds piquancy and helps create a balanced flavor profile.
- Chicken stock – I typically use chicken stock when making this, but my Syrian mother-in-law always used 1 to 2 Maggi chicken stock cubes and 3 cups of water instead of stock.
- Fresh lemon wedges – In the Middle East, this soup is typically served along with fresh lemon wedges to squeeze on top. It adds the perfect amount of tartness to wake up the soup.
- Fresh parsley – This is an optional garnish for a pop of green color.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Create base flavor. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until slightly softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Boil gently. Add the lentils, bay leaves, cumin, black pepper, and chicken stock. Cover the pot and bring the soup up to a rolling boil, then turn down the heat and let it boil gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, and adding a splash of water if necessary if it’s too thick.
- Finishing touches. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as desired. Serve along with fresh lemon wedges to squeeze on top, garnished a sprig of fresh parsley if desired.
Storage and Reheating
After cooling, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. This soup reheats well on the stovetop or in the microwave. (TIP: You may need to add a splash of water to thin it out when reheating.)
My Best Tips For This Simple Red Lentil Soup Recipe
- Rinse the lentils. We don’t need to soak red lentils for this recipe, but I recommend rinsing them in a colander under cool running water.
- It’s easy to add more vegetables to this soup! You can bulk it up with root vegetables like carrot and potato. Use up to 2 cups of each if you like. Dice the carrot and add it after the soup has cooked for 10 minutes. Cube the potato and add it after the soup has cooked for 20 minutes. (The carrot needs about 20 minutes to cook in the soup, and the potato needs about 10 minutes.)
- If you decide to use Maggi chicken bouillon cubes instead of chicken stock, you likely won’t need to add any salt to the soup. When it’s made, taste it and add salt as desired before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Arabic, this dish is called shorbat adas, and is also transliterated as shorabet adas and shorbet adas. Shorbat means soup, and adas means lentils.
No, red lentils don’t need to be soaked before making this simple red lentil soup recipe.
More Recipes to Try During Ramadan
- Molokhia Waraq
- Easy Rice Pudding
- Persian Okra Stew (Khoresh Bamieh)
- Ma’amoul (Middle Eastern Date-Filled Cookies)
Let’s Connect
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Simple Middle Eastern Red Lentil Soup Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 cup dried red lentils rinsed under cool running water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups chicken stock (see Notes)
- Fresh lemon wedges for serving (optional, but recommend)
- Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Create base flavor. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until slightly softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Boil gently. Add the lentils, bay leaves, cumin, black pepper, and chicken stock. Cover the pot and bring the soup up to a rolling boil, then turn down the heat and let it boil gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, and adding a splash of water if necessary if it's too thick.
- Finishing touches. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as desired. Serve along with fresh lemon wedges to squeeze on top, garnished a sprig of fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- Storage and Reheating: After cooling, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. This soup reheats well on the stovetop or in the microwave. (TIP: You may need to add a splash of water to thin it out when reheating.)
- Vegan Version: For the vegan version, use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
- Chicken Stock: When making this, my Syrian mother-in-law always used 1 to 2 Maggi chicken stock cubes and 3 cups of water instead of the chicken stock.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on September 6, 2009 and updated on January 26, 2026.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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Actually just cooked this for breakfast, lovely. Nice to find a version without carrots. Had mushroom stock at hand.
This soup has become a favourite at our house. I love that it’s so easy to make and tastes so delicious. Thank you for sharing it.
I first came across this recipe a few years back, and shame on me, I never came back to comment. I was once invited to iftar with a neighbor’s family, and their red lentil soup was so good that it haunted me for years until I decided to try making it myself. This recipe did the trick perfectly, and it has since become a staple in my household. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had requests to make this soup for get-togethers, and it’s so easy! Thanks so much for this!
Is the nutritional information for one serving or 4? I love this recipe!!!
Laura, Thank you so much for your kind words! The nutritional information is for 1 serving; the recipe makes 4 servings.
Hi Faith, I love making this soup and I just make the lentil w/swiss chard and lemon from your book. delicious! a new favorite for sure :-)
I’m half lebanese and this is a great version of red lentil soup. I’ve been making it ever since I ran into it and I absolutely love it! It’s healthy and delicious…
And to everyone who hasn’t made it yet, I highly recommend you give it a try!
Thanks for the recipe!
Cheers!
Anna, I’m so glad you enjoy this soup, it’s one of my favorites!
Thankyou so much for posting this. It is hard to believe it is so close to Ramadan. This will be my 3rd Ramadan and I am so excited. Inshalah, I plan to cook this Ramadan without much help.I have been looking for this recipe. I love it and didn’t know what it was called. I have searched several sites and found it here. Thankyou for the information and the encouragement. May Alah bless you all and may all of you have a Great Ramadan. Ramadan Mubarak.
Leeza, Thank you so much for your sweet comment! I hope you enjoy the soup, it is my favorite during Ramadan too. Ramadan Mubarak!
I made this soup for my book club (we had a book about Saudi Arabia), and everyone loved it! Thanks for the great inspiration for the soup.
I’ve been wanting to make lentils every since an old roomie made some. A friend showed me your recipe and I LOVED it.. Very easy to make yummy! I will make this again iA.
Thanks for sharing
Ramadan Mubarak to you and u r family……Shorbat looks extremely drool worthy…quite filling and indulging….
Lubna Karim, Ramadan Mubarak to you and your family! :)
Thank you for sharing about Ramadan. It sounds like a very spiritual time. Can you drink on the fast days or is both not eating and drinking?
I should try lentil soup. The soup season is beginning and this would be a nice new soup for me to introduce.
Chaya, During the fast you can’t eat or drink. If you make the lentil soup, let me know how you like it! ;)
Lorraine & Heavenly Housewife, Ramadan Mubarak to you as well! (And to everyone! ;) )
Thank you for sharing some background :-) The red lentil soup looks yummie!
Ramadan Mubarak :), I celebrate ramadan too. Here in England the fasts end around 8. I dont do several courses cause the fasting makes me tired (except if I have guests). The soup looks great, really hearty. Just the thing to give you back your energy.
Totally drool-worthy.
Delicious soup with red lentils! Thanks for a great recipe!
Ramadan Mubarak to everyone! This looks wonderful! :)
I remember when I was in Singapore and my Muslim friends would fast…I always felt sorry for them, but I guess I was just thinking purely in the material sense!
That soup looks really satisfying. I’ll have to try it. But my, my, red lentils don’t cook in their original pretty red color!
Thank you all for your sweet comments!
Anh, Ramadan Mubarak to you and your family as well!
Nora, I got those chicken stock cubes at an Arabic grocery store. If you can’t find the Maggi brand, Knorr also makes really good bouillon cubes.
Zerrin, I can’t wait for your red lentil soup recipe!
When I was young my mother always made lentil soup and served with a twisted homemade donut. I never got the recipe for either and regret that so often. Thanks for the post and prompting the memories.
What a coincidence! I’m arranging the photos of my red lentil soup for my next post right now :) Yours looks so heart filling, I can feel the warm smell of it even from its photo. I love it with lemon juice and with some dried mint on the top. A great soup for iftar!
where can i get those chicken stock cubes faith? this soup looks mouth watering!! yummm!! love the idea :)
I love lentil soups, especially ones that are well seasoned. That recipe looks great!
I love lentil soups and this one sounds pretty easy to do….
looks delicious! i loved hearing about the fast (and the ritual breaking of it!). very interesting and cool to learn about! and the date sweets sound amazing.
Lentil soup looks very inviting!
Ramadan Mubarak to you and your family! :)
I cannot believe it’s already the 16th day of Ramadan. I ate this type of soup quite often for Iftar. My husband loves it. A Morrocon owner in Melbourne also taught me another Iftar soup recipe, very similar, but with chickpea and lamb broth.
I am awaiting Ramadan sweet recipes from you!
Looks Yummm..