Adas bi hamod — lentil soup with lemon and Swiss chard — is a Lebanese preparation that is naturally vegan and one of the most nutritionally complete and flavourful soups in the world. The name translates literally as 'lentils with sourness': the sourness comes from a generous addition of fresh lemon juice at the very end, which brightens and transforms what would otherwise be a rich, earthy pulse soup into something vivid and complex. The soup's character comes from a combination of red lentils (which collapse and thicken) and the finishing acid; the Swiss chard (silq) adds both textural contrast and mineral, leafy depth. Fried onions finished with cumin provide the aromatic base. This is not a simple lentil soup — the combination of earthy lentils, mineral greens, bright acid, and the fried onion's sweetness produces a balance that is distinctly Levantine.
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IThe Market List
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250g
red lentils
rinsed
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 litre
vegetable stock
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1
large yellow onion
diced
Your own market
4 cloves
garlic
minced
Your own market
2 tsp
ground cumin
Your own market
60ml
fresh lemon juice
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
3 tablespoons
tomato paste
Your own market
60ml
extra virgin olive oil
Your own market
3g
Aleppo pepper
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
30g
fresh coriander
chopped
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
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II
The Method
1
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium; sauté onion 5–6 minutes until softened.
2
Add garlic and ginger; cook 1 minute until fragrant.
3
Bloom ground cumin in the oil 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
4
Stir in tomato paste; cook 2 minutes, stirring to avoid scorching.
5
Add rinsed lentils and vegetable stock; bring to a boil, then reduce to low.
6
Simmer uncovered 25–30 minutes until lentils break down into a thick purée, stirring occasionally.
7
Finish with fresh lemon juice, salt, and Aleppo pepper; stir through chopped coriander.
8
Adjust consistency with additional stock if needed; serve hot.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Where it lives or dies. For an extra layer of flavour: add a cinnamon stick to the cooking lentils and remove before serving — it adds warmth that is characteristic of Lebanese cuisine
The fried crispy onion (sumac-dusted, for a Levantine accent) scattered over each bowl at service adds textural contrast that transforms the presentation
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over each bowl at service — this is the Lebanese tradition and it adds richness that the soup benefits from
VII · Origin & Lineage
Lebanon and the broader Levant; lentil preparations documented across the ancient Near East from biblical times; adas bi hamod is a Lebanese home cooking staple with pre-Islamic roots.
Pillars V — VII
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