Kuwaiti Red Lentil Soup (Shaurabat Adas)

UmmBinat's Note:

A tasty soup common to the Arabian Gulf. I prefer to use dried black loomi over the lighter Iraqi/Iranian sold variety as I find they impart a stronger flavouring. This recipe has been modified over time to how we enjoy it most. The original recipe being from The Complete Middle East Cookbook by Tess Mallos.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 25 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 6

Yield: 6.0 bowls

• 1 1/2 cups split red lentils
• water
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup butter (olive oil or ghee or samneh)
• 4 -5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 potato, half cooked, peeled and cubed
• 2 teaspoons baharat (Baharat Aka Middle East Mixed Spices - the Real Mix)
• 3/4 teaspoon coriander, freshly ground
• 2 dashes turmeric powder
• 2 cups fresh tomatoes, peeled & chopped
• 2 dried black limes (loomi, found in some Middle Eastern shops)
• sea salt, to taste
• lemon wedge, to serve

Directions:

1. In a frying pan, heat butter or olive oil etc. and add the finely chopped onion. Fry gently until transparent, do not brown. Stir in garlic and spices (not sea salt), cook a few seconds, then add chopped fresh tomatoes.
2. Pick over lentils, place in a sieve and rinse under cold running water. Put into a large pot and add 6 cups water. Bring to the boil, skimming off the scum.
3. Once the lentils and water have come to the boil, add the onion mixture along with the dried black limes, each pierced twice with a skewer or a fork (Do not use a knife as I did that before and the loomis broke in half with the simmering and the soup was a pretty strong loomi flavour), also add the chopped, half cooked potato in now.
4. Return to the boil and boil gently, uncovered, for 40 minutes. [This seems long for split red lentils - I think you could get by with less time] Add sea salt to taste, and a little more water if soup looks too thick. Simmer gently for a further 25-30 minutes, uncovered, until the lentils and potato are tender. Stiring occasionally.
5. Serve hot in deep bowls with lemon wedges on the side to squeeze on to individual portions. Serve with khoubiz (flat bread), salad, and pickles for a lovely light Arabian meal.
6. Enjoy!

Reviews

[FLKeysJen]

Thank you UmmBinat for taking the time to type in this recipe when I asked you to share your favorite lentil soup. I enjoyed the tomatoes, potatoes and overall flavor of this so much! The only change I made was to use half the amount of butter. I bought the baharat, red lentils and dried black limes at efooddepot.com. Delicious!