It’s officially cold, and my fingers feel like icicles as I type this. I guess that’s why I’ve been craving soup lately. Unfortunately I’ve had a busy travel and shooting schedule (I’m hosting my own show!), the past few weeks and I haven’t had time to spend all that much time in my kitchen. This Shorbat Adas has been a quick lifesaver that’s literally kept my fingers warm and the cold at bay. It’s a delicious Middle Eastern lentil soup who’s short list of ingredients and quick prep time belies its complex layers of flavors and abundant umami. I’ve seen a lot of recipes call for substituting fresh limes or lemon for the dried ones, but I think the use of dried limes is the key to setting Shorbat Adas apart from other lentil soups like its Indian counterpart Masoor Dal. That’s because the limes undergo the Maillard reaction while drying, which transforms the flavor in the same way that caramelized onions taste different from raw onions. Speaking of caramelized onions, since this soup is so simple, it’s important to make sure your onions and garlic are well-caramelized to ensure your Shorbat Adas is as loaded with flavor as it should be. I like to add the cumin in with the onions and garlic, which helps release its aroma. Using a pressure cooker greatly reduces the cooking time, but you do need to be careful as this can easily burn. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can make this in a regular pot, but you’ll need to cook it for 25-30 minutes, and you may need to add some extra stock to account for the extra evaporation. You could also pre-soak the lentils for a few hours to speed up the cooking time. While you don’t eat the limes, I like to include one in each bowl and then you can press on it a bit with the back of your spoon to extract every last bit of tangy umami goodness. Serve Shorbat Adas with some warm pita or your favorite bread.
📖 Recipe
