Lentil soup

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Lentil soup (Arabic shorbit adas or shurba al-'adas) is a soup which is served hot and made with lentils. It is popular all over the Middle East.^[1] Usually it is a vegetarian soup, but can also be made with meat stock. Red or green lentils may be used and in some recipes the lentils are boiled with vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, parsley and onion, and then pureed. Common added flavorings include garlic, cumin, and lemon juice, with the addition of croutons for garnish.

Lentil soup (Hebrew: nezid adashim)^[2] is mentioned in the Bible: In Genesis 25:34, Esau is prepared to give up his birthright for a pot of fragrant red lentil soup being cooked by his brother, Jacob.

The ancient Greek dramatist, Aristophanes, mentions lentil soup in his plays and describes it as the "sweetest of delicacies."^[3]

Lentil soup was once a food for the poor. Today, it is recognized as highly nutritious and provides a good source of protein, fiber, iron and potassium.^[4]

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