Simple Middle Eastern Red Lentil Soup Recipe

easy authentic middle eastern red lentil soup recipe featured image

Simple Middle Eastern Red Lentil Soup Recipe

With just a few simple ingredients, this classic Arabic red lentil soup is both hearty and healthy. It's rich and creamy, naturally gluten free, and easy to make vegan with one ingredient swap. It truly showcases the beauty of traditional Middle Eastern cuisine!

Course Soup

Cuisine Arabic and Middle Eastern

Keyword Arabic Lentil Soup, Arabic Lentil Soup Recipe, Middle Eastern Lentil Soup, Middle Eastern Lentil Soup Recipe, Red Lentil Soup, Red Lentil Soup Recipe, Shorbat Adas, Simple Lentil Soup, Simple Lentil Soup Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 269kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

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)

US Customary - Metric

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