Looking for some filling and protein rich soup? Say hello to Adasi, a vegan Persian lentil soup. This easy and quick lentil soup is a dump and forget kind of a meal that you need on a very busy and hungry day. Naturally vegan and gluten-free, this is just what you need on a cold night.
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Lentils are love in my family. My daughter loves them and split pigeon pea lentils are her favorite meal. Dal is the magic word that gathers everyone around the table in no time. It was a no-brainer to put together this middle eastern inspired soup for my lentil loving nugget.
We tasted this soup at a middle-eastern restaurant long back. I fell in love with the creamy flavor packed soup and did some research on it. In the end, I experimented with different combinations and this delicious version was born.
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Why you should try this vegan lentil soup
- This is a dump and go soup.
- Can be doubled or tripled in a pinch.
- Ideal for batch cooking and freezing.
- Can be served as a meal on its own or as an appetizer.
- Plant based and gluten-free without any additives or processed ingredients.
Ingredients
If I have to break up the ingredients list into blocks, its basically spices, proteins, carbs and herbs.
Lentils
Traditionally, they either make this with brown lentils or green lentils. Having tried both versions, green lentils are better suited for this recipe. Green lentils should not be confused with moong beans. Green lentils look like whole brown lentils and are flat and round. Moong beans, however, are dark green and oblong.
While I do recommend green lentils, you can always make this with brown lentils if you cannot source green lentils.
Carbs
Brown rice lends a bite to this otherwise smooth and creamy soup. It also makes this more filling. Since we add brown rice to this, you can also compare this lentil soup to a hearty stew.
Want to skip rice? No problem. Add some red quinoa or millet instead.
Aromatics
Dried Lime
A traditional Persian Adasi has dried limes. Since it is a specialty ingredient and I do not have regular use for it in my pantry, I tried to work around it. I found that lime zest and lemon zest do a great job.
Sumac
Sumac is a special middle eastern spice blend. Made from the dried berries of the Sumac flower, it is used as a rub for meats or to season fish. A beautiful rusty red in color, this has a tangy citrussy flavor and no aroma. Best substitutes for Sumac are lemon zest or lemon pepper seasoning.
Garlic& Onion Powder
The first time I discovered these two, I was thrilled. The flavors these two ingredients bring to a dish are simply incredible. While you can always give these two a miss, I strongly recommend them for the best Adasi.
Other Aromatics
Usual suspects like ground cumin, cinnamon and turmeric all add more flavor and an earthy flavor to this soup.
Stock
As always, I prefer low sodium stock that is certified vegan and gluten-free. Always check your labels to ensure this. You can make this soup with just plain water too.
Herbs
I m a sucker for ‘erbs. Wait, do you say Herbs or ‘erbs? However you call it, a dish has got to have some of them to breathe life into it. A combination of fresh mint, parsley and cilantro is nothing less than flavor-packed.
How to serve?
As a main dish-
Keep the consistency of this soup thick. Serve along side some crusty toasted bread, some coconut or cashew yogurt and some lemon wedges by the side.
You can also include roasted veggies or some airfryer Mexican Cauliflower bites
For some crunch, add some crushed nachos. You can add some baked pita chips too.
As an appetiser
Thin down the soup with 1 to 2 cups water, adjust the seasoning and garnish with lots of finely chopped parsley and cilantro leaves. Serve in small bowls with a lemon or lime wedge on top.
Variations
- Replace the brown rice with tri-coloured quinoa.
- Add veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes or even baby spinach. Persian lentil soup with spinach is not only delicious but also nourishing.
- This Persian lentil and rice soup tastes finger-licking good with some vegan yogurt on the top.
- Along with the vegan yogurt, add finely chopped cucumbers, tomatoes and onions and make it a meal in a bowl.
Storage and freezing
This soup keeps well for 1 month in the freezer and 1 week in the fridge. Store completely cooled soup in small portions for best results. The same rule applies for freezing as well. I prefer freezing them in 1.5 cup portion sizes.
Thaw frozen Adasi in the fridge or over the counter top. Add thawed soup to a saucepan and reheat over medium heat before serving.
Slow cooker lentil soup
I have made this as a dump and go recipe in my Instant Pot. But I don’t see any reason for this to not work in a slow cooker. Combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker. Use the LOW setting and cook for 4 hours until the soup looks done and delicious.
For us, 4 hours seemed perfect with the lentils having a teeny tiny bite to them. You can cook for 5 hours if you need it to be smooth and creamy.
While cooking this soup in the slow cooker, make sure to monitor the water levels every 1 hour once.
Instant Pot Dump& Go Soup
When you have an Instant Pot, lugging the Dutch oven to the counter simply does not make sense. I have been making so many dump and go recipes off late. Look forward to more of these in the next couple of weeks.
So, what exactly is a dump and go recipe? Simply combine all the ingredients in the inner pot, set the IP to the appropriate settings and let the gadget do its magic.
There is no stirring or sauteing involved. No prior frying or cooking before pressure cooking is necessary. Sounds like a dream, right?
Method
Instant Pot Soup
Spice Mix
Combine all the ground spices under the spice mix list of ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
Making the soup
Place the brown rice and lentils in a colander. Wash them under running water twice. Insert the inner pot into the Instant pot. Add the washed rice and lentils to the inner pot.
Pour the stock in. Tip in the finely chopped garlic, onions and tomatoes. Mix well. Add the herbs and stir to combine. Tip in the spice mix and mix well. Add the grated lemon zest and stir well.
Instant Pot cooking time
Ensure that the sealing ring has been inserted into the lid properly. Close the Instant Pot and turn the valve to SEALING. Switch on the Instant Pot
Press PRESSURE COOK BUTTON- HIGH PRESSURE-15 MINUTES.
Allow the cooking cycle to complete. When the cooking cycle is completed, allow the pressure to release naturally.
Simmering
Open the lid and gently mash the lentils. If you find the soup too thick, add 1 cup water and mix. Turn on SAUTE MODE- NORMAL-3 mins. Allow the soup to simmer until the SAUTE cycle completes.
When done, serve hot.
Stove top method
Pressure cooker lentil soup
You can cook this soup in a regular stove-top pressure cooker too. In a 5 or 6 quart pressure cooker, add all the ingredients. Cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 whistles. Wait for pressure to release naturally.
When done, open and mash the lentils gently. Serve hot.
Open Pan method
While this soup can be cooked in an open-pan, I will not recommend it since it takes longer and consumes more fuel. However, if you do need to, then here are the instructions.
Wash the lentils and rice. Soak in 3 cups hot water for 1 hour. Add all the ingredients to a 5 quart dutch oven. Cook over medium heat for 30 to 45 mins or until the lentils are cooked through and soup looks glossy and creamy.
Recipe Notes
- This soup is thick. It is almost like a stew. I added water to thin it down a bit. This is also why I had to simmer the soup for a bit using the SAUTE mode. If you prefer your soups thick, then you can skip adding the water and simmering for 3 minutes towards the end.
- If you like your soups thin, then feel free to add more water or stock and simmer the soup after pressure releases.
- Older lentils take longer to cook. In case your lentils are old, then either soak them in hot water for 1 hour before cooking. Or you can use the BEAN/ CHILI mode to make this soup if you want to skip the soaking.
More Instant Pot Recipes
Recipe Card
Persian Lentil Soup
Equipment
- Instant Pot 6 qt
Ingredients
- 1/8 cup brown rice
- 3/4 cup green lentils
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
- 3/4 cup finely chopped yellow onions
- 1/2 cup finely chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp lemon zest zest from 1/2 a lemon
- 1 cup water
Herbs
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Spice mix
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp Onion powder
- 1/4 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp Sumac
- 1 tsp Kosher salt or to taste
Instructions
Spice Mix
- Combine all the ground spices under the spice mix list of ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
- Set aside.
Making the soup
- Place the brown rice and lentils in a colander.
- Wash them under running water twice.
- Insert the inner pot into the Instant pot.
- Add the washed rice and lentils to the inner pot.
- Pour the stock in.
- Tip in the finely chopped garlic, onions and tomatoes.
- Mix well.
- Add the herbs and stir to combine.
- Tip in the spice mix and mix well.
- Add the grated lemon zest and stir well.
Instant Pot cooking time
- Ensure that the sealing ring has been inserted into the lid properly.
- Close the Instant Pot and turn the valve to SEALING.
- Switch on the Instant Pot
- Press PRESSURE COOK BUTTON- HIGH PRESSURE-15 MINUTES.
- Allow the cooking cycle to complete.
- When the cooking cycle is completed, allow the pressure to release naturally.
Simmering
- Open the lid and gently mash the lentils.
- If you find the soup too thick, add 1 cup water and mix.
- Turn on SAUTE MODE- NORMAL-3 mins.
- Allow the soup to simmer until the SAUTE cycle completes.
- When done, serve hot.
Notes
For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes
Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.
Disclaimer
Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.
Nutrition
More Soups
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Susan M. says
Delicious! Reminds me of what a local Afghan restaurant makes. I made some subs based on what I had on hand (and Googling), za’atar for the sumac, basil for the cilantro, dried parsley. No mint.
anusha says
Hey Susan. Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. Glad you liked it.
Katie says
I do have dried limes how can I incorporate this in the recipe? I can’t wait to try, thanks!
Vickie says
Can this be made in the 3-quart Instant Pot? Thank you.
Vicki says
So easy and so delicious!