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red lentil soup in bowl with lime slices and cilantro beside cutting board and small bowl of lentils
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5 from 40 votes

Middle Eastern Lentil Soup (Adas)

This Middle Eastern Lentil Soup recipe, or "Adas" in Arabic, is hearty, spicy, and perfect for lunch or dinner. Enjoy it as a main dish or an appetizer!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Assyrian, Middle Eastern
Servings: 6 bowls
Calories: 263kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 medium diced potato (optional)
  • 1 cup red (or orange) lentil
  • ¼ cup rice
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion
  • ½ cup vermicelli noodles
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon hot curry (or mild)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon paprika powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder (optional)

Instructions

  • Rinse rice to remove excess starch. Wash lentils and strain. Peel and dice the potato (if using) and add to a pot, along with lentil and rice. Add 3 cups water.
  • Bring the contents of the pot to a boil. Lower the temperature, then simmer, covered, for approximately 20 minutes until most of the water has been absorbed.
  • Heat olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion and vermicelli noodles until the onion is soft and the noodles are brown.
  • Add salt, curry paprika, and cayenne powder to the saucepan. Cook for one minute then add tomato paste and one cup of water. Stir until combined.
  • Add the saucepan ingredients to lentil mixture, along with two cups of additional water. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover with lid, and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Notes

  • If the soup gets too thick, just add more water until it reaches the desired consistency.
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or for up to 3 months in the freezer.
  • You can reduce the level of spice by omitting the cayenne, and by using sweet curry powder instead of spicy.
  • You can blend this Middle Eastern lentil soup with an immersion blender if you prefer a smooth texture.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 588mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g