Adass bil Hamod

Adass bil Hamod — lentils with lemon — is the definitive Lebanese lentil soup, a sustaining, bright-tasting bowl that appears on every home table from Beirut to the Bekaa Valley. Swiss chard stirred in at the end gives it body and colour, while a generous squeeze of lemon at the table brings everything into sharp, satisfying focus. It is everyday food at its most eloquent.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 400 g (14 oz) red lentils, rinsed
• 1 large bunch Swiss chard (about 300 g / 10 oz), leaves and stems sliced
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
• 1½ tsp (5 g) ground cumin
• ½ tsp (1 g) ground turmeric
• ¼ tsp (0.5 g) cayenne pepper
• 1.5 litres (6 cups) water or light vegetable stock
• Juice of 2 lemons (about 80 ml / ⅓ cup)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Extra olive oil and lemon wedges to serve

Instructions

1. Heat 3 tbsp of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 8–10 minutes until deeply golden and beginning to caramelise.
2. Add the sliced garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Stir in cumin, turmeric, and cayenne; fry 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Add rinsed lentils and pour in the water or stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a brisk simmer. Cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils have completely dissolved into a thick soup.
4. Add the sliced Swiss chard (stems first, leaves after 3 minutes) and cook a further 7–8 minutes until completely tender.
5. Stir in lemon juice and season generously with salt and pepper. Adjust lemon to taste — the soup should be noticeably bright and sour.
6. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, and serve with warm flatbread and extra lemon wedges.

Cook's Notes: Red lentils dissolve fully in about 20 minutes; do not add salt until the lentils are fully soft or they may harden. Spinach can replace Swiss chard. The soup thickens considerably as it cools — thin with hot water when reheating.