This soup is so easy to put together and delivers the kind of homey flavor that is the hallmark of a great winter soup.
The ingredients are thrown in the pot and left to simmer slowly; right before serving, a burst of flavor is added (garlic, olive oil and fresh lemon juice).
Done!
Recipe courtesy of Mireille H. Doniguian La Cuisine du Moyen-Orient (adapted)
INGREDIENTS: 8 servings
- 2 cups of red lentils
- 4 large carrots
- 1 1/2 pound of swiss chard
- 1 tbsp of mashed garlic (chop the garlic and mash in a mortar with salt till pasty)
- 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large lemons, juiced
METHOD:
- Place the lentils in a bowl and rinse under running tap water for a few seconds until clean. Transfer to a large pot, add 6 cups of water and bring to a simmer.
- Peel the carrots and slice; add to the lentils. Cook the lentils and carrots for 40 minutes or so. Meanwhile, wash the chard and separate the stalks from the leaves. Stack the leaves and slice them into 1/4 inch ribbons and throw them in the soup pot. Simmer the soup another 20 minutes until the chard is cooked.
- Right before serving, start heating the soup; juice the lemons and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet, add the mashed garlic and stir-fry briefly for a few seconds without letting the garlic change color. Pour the garlic and olive oil in the soup and add the lemon juice. Serve.












23 Comments
I unequivocally love this soup. It sounds warm and delicious and it is perfect for an Oregon winter day. Ihope you enjoy the evening. Blessings…Mary
J’adore cette soupe et encore plus son contenant! Superbe.
What a lovely, simple, healthy soup…what more could you ask for? I need to use my red lentils up.
Wat a beautiful serving bowl,soup looks absolutely comforting.
The Soup looks so delicious and healthy!
Beautiful soup! That bowl is STUNNING! I can’t take my eyes off of it.
tu es d origine d un payer que j aime beaucoup.j aime sa beauté et sa cuisine.une très belle soupe.
Wherever do you get such gorgeous table settings? The citrus must add such sparkle to the soup. I have to remember to use it more often with my soups and stews as I always love it when I do! I do not like lentils or chard, yet you have wooed me, here. I appreciate the nutritional value of both – and usually grind lentils into a flour to add to my soups as a thickner and nutrient… but the garlic and lemon combination in this soup has me puckering for a taste. YUMMY!

V
This looks fantastic and so warming! And I am in love with your bowl…gorgeous presentation and shot
I am a huge lentil fan….I can eat them every day…What a delicious and comforting soup!
Love this soup. Simple, elegant and delicious.
Ail, ail, ail comme elle à l”air bonne cette soupe et on n’a même pas à mettre des lentilles pour le voir….
You just aimed an arrow at my legume-loving heart. Soup will be on the agenda later this week – and now I know which one!
One of my favorites! We tend to cook this whenever someone has a cold, it seems like it helps in a quicker recovery.
Mmmm love the ingredients in here, and your presentation makes it look super fancy. Perfect soup for winter!
There is nothing better than a homemade soup in a cold winter night! I love the vessel in which you present it!
I adore the soupy stew…this looks really homey and warming.
Yum, talk about simple and delicious, this looks like it would cure any ailment, physical or emotional
nice..love this one..we make it and call it adas bil hamoud..usually with brown lentils..we also saute an onion with olive oil and the garlic then add swiss chard and cilantro leaves till all wilts then add this saute to the simmering soup along with the lemon
ps we also call it adas bi silq…and i forgot the cilantro is chopped..
@Samir: I have a post on this soup, adas bel -hamoud is my favorite winter soup; here the soup is from an Armenian kitchen and the technique is a bit different as well as the ingredients; they don’t use the cilantro pesto.
love it too……I have to try this as well it looks delicious…
I love red lentils this reminds me Indian dals. Easier to make though because it requires less spices. Yumm!
Congrats on the good looking metal bowl.
Cheers,
Heguiberto