Skip to content
FriendsPantry

Egyptian

Shorbet ads (Egyptian lentil soup)

Vegetarian

شوربة عدس · shorbet ads

A smooth, golden soup of red lentils simmered with onion, carrot and tomato, seasoned with cumin and brightened with lemon at the table. A winter and Ramadan staple in Egyptian homes.

Shorbet ads (Egyptian lentil soup) is an Egyptian soup, ready in about 45 minutes and made with red lentils and cumin. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking
A warm bowl of red lentil soup served with lemon wedges and croutons, styled as a flat lay.
Photo: mehmetakifarts / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
10 min
Cook
35 min
Total
45 min
Serves
4
Level
Beginner
Calories
328

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Warm the oil in a saucepan (opens in a new tab) over medium heat and soften the onion (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab) and carrot (opens in a new tab) without browning.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the tomato (opens in a new tab), lentils, cumin (opens in a new tab) and turmeric (opens in a new tab), stir for a minute, then pour in the stock.

    • 2 min
    • medium heat

  3. Step 3

    Bring to the boil, skim any foam, then simmer partly covered until the lentils and carrot (opens in a new tab) are completely soft.

    • 25 min
    • medium-low heat

  4. Step 4

    Blend until smooth, thinning with hot water if needed. Season with the salt and pepper (opens in a new tab).

    Food safety: Blend hot liquids in small batches with the lid vented, or use a stick blender.

  5. Step 5

    Serve with lemon (opens in a new tab) wedges and toasted bread croutons.

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Egypt · Commonly attributedLentil soups like this are eaten across the Arab world; this blended, cumin-scented style is a well-known Egyptian home dish.More food from Egypt
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Soups
    Cooking method
    Simmered, Blended
    Taste
    earthy, savoury, mild
    Diet
    Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
    All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · Low-fat · Calorie-conscious
    With the listed swaps: No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    One-pot · Budget-friendly · Freezer-friendly · Everyday · Make-ahead
    Cook more with
    Red lentils · Cumin · Onion · Garlic · Carrot · Tomato
    Techniques
    Boiling · Simmering · Wet grinding · Emulsification · Stock making

    Allergens

    • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom pita bread
    • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom vegetable stock, pita bread
    • May contain: Sesamefrom pita bread
    • May contain: Celeryfrom vegetable stock

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    328 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 445 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 20%
    • Carbohydrate 57%
    • Fat 23%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy328 kcal74 kcal
    Protein16.7 g3.7 g
    Carbohydrate48.5 g10.9 g
    Net carbohydrate40.3 g9.1 g
    Sugars——
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre8.2 g1.8 g
    Fat8.7 g1.9 g
    Saturated fat0.9 g0.2 g
    Trans fat0 g0 g
    Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
    Sodium1198 mg269 mg
    Salt equivalent3 g0.7 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    658 mg
    Calcium
    65 mg
    Iron
    5.6 mg
    Magnesium
    51 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    176 µg
    Vitamin C
    10 mg
    Vitamin D
    0 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    140 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: turmeric, lemon, pita bread.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • A generous squeeze of lemon is what makes the soup — don't skip it.

    Common mistakes

    • Salting heavily before blending; the soup thickens and concentrates as it stands.

    Serve with

    • Top with crisp fried onions and a pinch of extra cumin.

    Storage

    • Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.

    Reheating

    • Reheat gently, adding water — it thickens a lot in the fridge.

    Variations

    • With rice or vermicelli: Some families add a handful of rice or toasted vermicelli to make it more filling.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2, 5

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

    You might also like