Lemon Lentil Soup (Adas Bi Hamod)

Lebanese lemon lentil soup, also known as adas bi hamod, is a hearty, healthy, and delicious lentil soup made with simple pantry staples and vegetables. Lentils, Swiss chard, carrots, garlic, lemon, and other superfood ingredients make adas bi hamod a nutrition powerhouse that's perfect for cold winter days.

What I Love About This Recipe

I love the tangy flavor that comes from the lemon and sumac blend used to make this Lebanese lentil soup. I also love that it's a super nutritious dish that's also finger-licking good (we need more of this combination).

There are also so many heartwarming memories attached to this adas bi hamood recipe. I remember how my mom would make it for anyone who was under the weather and how my grandma would serve it whenever it started getting cold outside.

Ingredient Notes

• Lentils: This ingredient forms the base of this recipe and enriches it with protein and fiber. It's best to use green lentils when making this lemon lentil soup.
• Swiss chard: A key ingredient that adds a ton of health benefits to the dish. It can be substituted with spinach (I personally prefer chard).
• Garlic: Use mashed or pressed fresh garlic. The garlic blends so well with the olive oil and lemon combination.
• Potato: Use any type of peeled white or golden potato.
• Carrots: My grandma never makes this soup without them. You can skip using them if you can't find any but they do add to the flavor of this soup.

• Lemon juice: Use freshly squeeze lemon juice.
• Sumac: Some people don't add sumac to lemon lentil soup but I never skip it because it just adds to the delicious tangy twist here.

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for quantities.

How To Make Adas Bi Hamod

Start by boiling the lentils in a large pot with water.

Cook the lentils for 10 to 15 minutes before adding in the carrots and potato. Once the carrots and potatoes are nearly done cooking, add in the Swiss chard.

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Squeeze the lemons. Mash the garlic with some salt using a mortar and pestle. When the Swiss chard is wilted, mix your lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic. Add the lemon, mashed garlic, and olive oil mixture to the pot and stir well.

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The final touch is to add in the salt, pepper, and sumac.

Stir the soup one last time, take off the heat and serve drizzled with some more olive oil.

Tips and Tricks

• Make sure you taste the lemon lentil soup as you go to ensure you don't add too much lemon or sumac.
• Fine tune the flavors to your liking. Some people prefer adas bi hamod on the tangier side, others like the flavor of olive oil to be stronger.
• Start by cooking the lentils first, then add the vegetables rather than tossing everything together. This is to ensure you don't overcook the veggies and they retain a nice texture.

Variations and Substitutions

• Substitute the greens by substituting spinach or collard greens for the Swiss chard.
• Substitute kale for the Swiss chard. I know several friends who make this soup with kale and swear that it tastes incredible.

Equipment

• Large pot: To cook a big batch of deliciousness.
• Garlic press or mortar and pestle: To mince your garlic cloves with ease.
• Juicer: For the lemons.
• Wooden spoon: To stir and mix everything together.
• Ladle: To serve this gorgeous soup.

Storage

You can store this soup in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days. This recipe also freezes really well so you can always freeze a batch and store it for up to 6 months.

FAQs

Lentil Recipes

More Recipes By Mariam

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