Iranian Adasi is a slow-simmered lentil soup enjoyed for breakfast, often on weekends. Garnish with fresh lime, fried onion, fresh herbs, and even Persian Tea Eggs or serve as one of the dishes in the spread of a classic Persian breakfast.

Bowl of lentils with a spoon.

🌟Why you’ll love this recipe

  • This recipe works as a filling and tasty meal because lentils are so high in fiber and protein. They’re quick, easy and amazing flavor-absorbers.
  • The soup itself is a blend of classic flavors: onion, cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Simple yet so good, you should make this Adasi if you’re looking for a warm, hearty soup suitable for vegetarians or vegetarians.
  • It’s also an easy prep-ahead slow cooker meal and can be sized up or down to feed as many people as you like!

🧾Ingredients in this recipe

Ingredients for Persian lentils including onion and spices.
  • lentils – “adasi” means “lentils” and green lentils are traditionally used in this recipe, though it should work with any lentils.
  • water – you can use stock instead of water in this recipe, though the adasi develop great flavors with the spices and onion on it’s own.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

👩‍🍳How to Make This Recipe

Translucent onions in a pot with spices.
  • Heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the diced onion until translucent. Add the salt, pepper, turmeric, and cumin. Cook until fragrant, 30 seconds-1 minute.
  • Add the washed adasi (lentils) and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest possible temperature. Cook for a minimum of 8 hours. Monitor the water level and add more, if necessary.

Pro Tip

You can cook the lentils in a slow-cooker on the low setting. Monitor the water level to make sure the lentils don’t get too dry.

Consistency difference of lentils after four and eight hours.

Smash some of the lentils against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon to thicken the soup.

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Bowl of lentils with a spoon.
Author: Candice Walker

Iranian Adasi – Lentil Soup

5 from 10 votes
Print Recipe Save
Iranian Adasi is a slow-simmered lentil soup enjoyed for breakfast, often on weekends. Garnish with fresh lime, fried onion, and fresh herbs.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time8 hours
Total Time8 hours
Course: Breakfast, Side Dish
Cuisine: Persian
Diet: Gluten Free, Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 8
Calories: 206kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups green lentils washed
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 tbsp oil canola, avocado, or other flavorless oil
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt do not use table salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 6 cups water

Instructions

  • Heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the diced onion until translucent.
  • Add the salt, pepper, turmeric, and cumin. Cook until fragrant, 30 seconds-1 minute.
  • Add the washed lentils and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest possible temperature. Cook for a minimum of 8 hours. Monitor the water level and add more, if necessary.
  • Smash some of the lentils against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon to thicken the soup. Serve warm.

Notes

You can cook the lentils in a slow-cooker on the low setting. Monitor the water level to make sure the lentils aren’t dry.
Often served with fried onions, fresh herbs and lime, and Persian Tea Eggs.

Nutrition

Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 158mg | Potassium: 478mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 19IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 4mg
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.

10 Comments

  2. Havenā€™t made this yet and was wondering if cooking with the instant pot-is the water measurement the same? Also, how long do you cook in instant pot?

    Reply

    1. Hi Connie, unfortunately I havenā€™t tried it myself yet but plan to in the next few weeks. If you try it before then please let us know if you were successful and what you tried. Here is what Iā€™m going to try:
      1-3/4 cups water
      Pressure Cook setting.
      10 minutes.
      Natural pressure release for 10 minutes. Manual pressure release to vent any remaining steam.
      Iā€™ll come back and let you know if it needed more or less water.

      Reply

  3. My husband is from shiraz. My sister in law showed me this but in shiraz everyone adds meat to everything. ( including ash e reshteh). So we added some lamb and tomoato paste. Delicious.

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    Delicious and super easy to make. Need to plan ahead right timing and you are set for a great dish.
    I added whole eggs to mine to make it a one stop protein power plate. Thank you!!
    More recipes like this please!!

    Reply
5 from 10 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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