Adasi, a traditional Persian lentil soup, is a comforting and satisfying dish that’s perfect for chilly days. Traditionally served for breakfast with flatbread, this vegan soup is packed with flavor and protein, making it a hearty way to start the day!
Just like many traditional recipes around the world, this soup recipe has many variations. Our recipe includes black cardamom, cumin, and garlic which give it deep smoky and savory flavors. A touch of sumac balances out those flavors with a bit of brightness.
We love this recipe for its:
- Ease – it’s super easy to make
- Simplicity – using pantry ingredients you end up with a delicious healthy soup
- Nutrition – made with onions, tomatoes, parsley, lentils, and rice, this vegan dish is packed full of protein, vitamins C, D, B, zinc, magnesium, copper, fiber, and iron.
- Meal Prep – this recipe makes enough for breakfast and/or lunch throughout the week
- Naturally vegetarian, gluten-free, and plant-based
Ingredients
Spices
Black Cardamom.
Unlike green cardamom, which boasts a bright, citrusy flavor, black cardamom offers a unique smoky and earthy flavor with notes of pine.
Be sure to remove the black cardamom pods from the soup before serving. They will soften while cooking, but will still be extremely unpleasant to eat.
Looking for a sweet recipe that uses Black Cardamom? Black Cardamom Saffron Fudge
Cumin.
Ground Cumin brings a nuttiness and smokiness to this lentil recipe.
Garlic.
Three cloves of chopped fresh garlic or 3 teaspoons of Minced Dried Garlic adds a depth of flavor to this healthy vegan soup recipe that can only come from garlic! SpiceTopia’s Minced Dried Garlic is a convenient substitute for fresh garlic. With a package of this in your pantry, you won’t have to worry about dried up or sprouted garlic cloves!
Sumac.
Sumac is a ground berry that has a tart bright flavor with notes of saltiness. It brings just the right amount of sour to balance all the deep smoky flavors in this recipe.
Looking for more Sumac recipes?
Sticky Sumac Pomegranate Chicken Wings
Pacific Flake Sea Salt. Tellicherry Black Pepper
A good quality salt and pepper adds a base of seasoning that you just can’t replace with anything else. Pacific Flake Sea Salt and Tellicherry Black Pepper are our go-to’s when it comes to a quality and affordable everyday salt and pepper.
Lentils & Rice
Adasi is a versatile dish that can be adapted to your taste and dietary preferences.
We use brown lentils in this recipe, but feel free to experiment with different types of lentils, such as green, red, or even black lentils.
Traditionally this would be made with basmati rice, but use the rice you have available to you.
Technique
Puree the Onions.
One of the key techniques in Persian cooking is the pureeing of aromatics like onions. When cooking the pureed vegetables, moisture is released without browning the vegetables. By cooking the onion puree until the moisture evaporates, you intensify its flavor without browning, which can create bitter notes. It also creates a smooth, flavorful base for the soup.
The onion puree should not brown as it cooks. If it does start to brown, remove the pot from the heat, stir it continually, and allow it to cool down. Instead, you want to cook it just until the moisture evaporates.
Tempering the Spices.
To awaken the full potential of the spices, we temper them by cooking them briefly in the oil before adding the liquids. This process releases the essential oils in the spices and cooks the spices which helps to create a more mellow and complex flavor profile.
If you’ve ever had a dish with really sharp tasting cumin (or other spices), most likely that cumin wasn’t tempered.
Whether you’re a seasoned home cook or a beginner in the kitchen, Adasi is a relatively simple recipe that delivers big flavor. It’s a hearty and satisfying soup that’s perfect for warming up on a cold day.
This comforting Persian lentil soup is a must-try for anyone who loves flavorful and satisfying vegetarian meals.
Let’s Get Cooking!
Adasi: A Hearty and Flavorful Persian Lentil Soup
Ingredients
Instructions
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Blend onion into a paste. Add olive oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook until the moisture is gone, about 5 - 8 minutes.
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Add garlic and cumin. Stir. Cook for 1 minute more.
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Add lentils, water, and Black Cardamom Pods (which have been crushed until you can just see the seeds peeking out) to the onions. Bring to a boil.
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Reduce heat, cover and simmer on medium low for 25 minutes.
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Add tomatoes, parsley, 2 teaspoons salt, sumac, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
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Add the rice and simmer for 25-30 minutes on medium heat. Remove from the heat. Remove the cardamom pods. Add lemon juice. Taste and season with additional salt, pepper and lemon as you see fit.
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Enjoy!