This authentic Middle Eastern lentil soup is delicious, hearty and made with just a handful of pantry staples. Red split lentils are simmered with onions, potatoes, and carrots, then seasoned with warm spices like cumin and turmeric for that signature flavor. It’s a one-pot, easy-to-make recipe that can be blended for a smooth texture or enjoyed chunky. Serve it hot with a squeeze of lemon and warm pita bread for dipping. Stovetop and Instant Pot instructions included!

yellow lentil soup served in a bowl, on a tray with a bowl of dates and a bowl of lemon wedges

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5-STAR READER REVIEW

“I tried different versions of this and this recipe so far has been the best! So yummy and filling especially with some lemon juice 😋thank you🤍”

—Khadija
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My Childhood Soup!

This Arabic lentil soup called “Shorbat Adas” in Arabic is the soup of my childhood. Not only is it *the* soup to make during Ramadan (along with harira of course!), but my mom also made it year-round. It’s quite simple to make and uses split red lentils which melt into a smooth soup once cooked.

Why do I keep making it over and over again? It’s easy, perfect to meal prep and freeze, and my kids love it since it is mild in flavour. I do alternate between this one and my Turkish style lentil soup which has a slight kick from the Aleppo pepper butter.

The soup is served either chunky or blended. My mom always left it chunky. I also often make it using a pressure cooker. Using the instant pot, this recipe’s cook time is about 20 minutes.

Let’s Make Middle Eastern Lentil Soup

Grab your ingredients! The onions here are necessary, but you can omit the potato, or swap in carrots or add both if you like!

Arabic Lentil Soup ingredients which are red split lentils, onions, potato, salt, black pepper, turmeric and cumin

Step 1: Start by chopping the onions, carrots and potatoes. If you’re going to blend the soup at the end for a smooth texture, don’t worry about the size of the vegetables. But if you want to keep it chunky, then dice them into small cubes.

Step 2: Add the vegetable oil to your pot and heat it. If you’re using the instant pot, do this step using the “SAUTE” function. Cook the vegetables until they soften and start to caramelize. Then add in all the spices and continue to cook and toast the spices.

Onions and potatoes being cooked in a pot with oil and spices

Step 3: Add the washed and drained lentils and all the water and chicken broth. Mix well.

If you’re cooking on the stove top, cover and boil for 40-60 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft. Taste and adjust the water and salt half way through. You may need to add more water if necessary as the soup simmers.

soup broth with red lentils in a pot, with a wooden spoon

If you’re using the Instant Pot, secure the lid and pressure cook for 15 minutes, then manually release the pressure.

Step 4: Taste and adjust for seasoning. Blend the soup using an immersion blender straight in the pot. If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.

blended yellow lentil soup in a pot with a ladle

This Soup Is Freezer Friendly!

I love to make a large batch of this soup because it freezes so well. To freeze the soup:

  • Allow the soup to cool completely on the counter, then scoop the soup into freezer bags and add enough for one meal.
  • Close the bag, ensuring you get rid of all the air inside. Flatten the bag so it takes up less space in your freezer, and you can stack them up easily. Freeze for 2-3 months.

TIP: When re-heating the soup, it can get lump so the trick is to use a whisk and add a bit of water so you end up with a smooth consistency and it will taste as good as new.

Arabic Lentil Soup served in bowls topped with crunchy pita and parsley

More Soup Recipes:

Mercimek Corbasi, lentil soup in beige rimmed bowl with 2 metal spoons on the side, drizzled with spiced butter with two mustard coloured salt and pepper shakers, a small bowl with dried mint leaves and another bowl of soup in the top corner on a blue tie dyed background

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yayla corbasi which is yogurt soup is served in a blue bowl. The soup is garnished with dried mint, aleppo pepper and olive oil, with a soup spoon inside the bowl

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yellow lentil soup served in a bowl, on a tray with a bowl of dates and a bowl of lemon wedges
4.95 from 58 ratings

Middle Eastern Lentil Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)

Yield: 8 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
This Middle Eastern lentil soup recipe requires just a few ingredients, and not too much prep for the most creamy and amazingly flavorful soup! I’ve included instructions for making this lentil soup with red lentils in the Instant Pot and on the stovetop. If you know anything about Middle Eastern food, then you know that lentil soup is quite popular in every Arabic country.
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Ingredients
 

  • 2 onions, diced
  • 1 potato, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced (optional)
  • 2 cups red lentils
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more per preference
  • 1.5 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper, more or less per preference
  • 8-10 cups water or chicken stock
  • 1 chicken stock cube, if using water
  • Lemon juice, optional
  • Crunchy pita chips, optional

Instructions
 

  • Start by peeling and chopping the onions and potatoes into large chunks. If you don’t want to blend the soup at the end, then dice them into smaller cubes
  • In the Instant Pot (I used 8Qt for this size – see notes), add the vegetable oil, potatoes, onions, and spices and cook for 5 minutes on saute mode. If using stove top, use a regular soup pot
  • Add the lentils and water, mix well ensuring you scrape the bottom of the pot, and secure the instant pot lid. If using stove top, cover the pot
  • If using Instant Pot, pressure cook for 15 minutes. The Instant Pot will take approximately 10-15 minutes to come to pressure
  • If using stove top, allow it to boil for 40-60 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Adjust the liquid and salt half way through
  • For the Instant Pot, manually release the pressure valve and blend the soup using a hand mixer
  • For the stove top, you can leave it chunky or blend it as well
  • Taste and adjust the salt and also the water. If you like it thinner, add more water and allow it to cook for a few more minutes on saute mode
  • If you’re making the crunchy pita topping, simply cut pita bread into small squares and fry on medium heat using 3-4 tablespoons of oil. Continue stirring until golden and crunchy
  • Serve with a squeeze of lemon and crunchy pita on top

Notes

  • If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can follow the directions and cook on the stove top instead of pressure cooking. Cook time will be closer to 40-60 minutes.
  • I used an 8 Qt instant pot for this batch size. You can halve the recipe and use a 6 Qt instant pot
  • You can skip adding the potatoes if you don’t have any (but don’t skip the onion!)
  • You can also add carrots to this soup, the same way the potatoes and onions are added
  • Adjust the thickness of the soup at the end by adding more water for a thinner soup or allow it to boil for a thicker soup. This recipe yields a thick consistency
Serving: 1g, Calories: 242kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 0.1mg, Sodium: 421mg, Potassium: 621mg, Fiber: 15g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1299IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 43mg, Iron: 4mg
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