Red lentil soup

Red lentil soup is the quick, thick winter soup of the Israeli home: red lentils, carrot, celery and cumin cooked for 30 minutes until they melt into a cream without a drop of cream, then finished with lemon and olive oil. It is the lentil soup of Baghdad, Cairo and Istanbul, and here every ingredient is in grams.

Pot calculatorOrder Red lentil soup

VeganGluten freeDairy freeParveAllergens:Celery

Updated

Red lentil soupIllustration
Time1 hCook 40 min
Pot8 bowls2.8 litres
Per bowl273 kcal15.2 g protein · a 350 ml bowl
Cost of the pot₪18for the pot, about ₪2.3 a bowl

The story of Red lentil soup

Lentil soup is one of the oldest dishes of our region. Lentils have been found at ancient archaeological sites in Syria and around Jericho, and in the Book of Genesis Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a pot of red lentil stew. In Jewish tradition lentils, round like an egg, are served to mourners at the meal of consolation, and in many homes lentil soup is also the soup of plain weekdays.

In Israel red lentil soup became the quick winter soup of almost every home. Immigrants from Iraq, Egypt and Turkey brought shorbat adas, a smooth red lentil soup with cumin and lemon, and Israeli kitchens added carrot and celery. It is parve, so it works before a meat meal or a dairy one, and it is ready in 40 minutes from what is already in the cupboard.

What makes Red lentil soup itself

Red lentil soup needs no cream to be velvety. Red lentils are sold hulled and split, so they fall apart completely as they cook and thicken the soup on their own. What makes it a good lentil soup is a triangle: cumin fried in oil, lemon added only at the end, and good olive oil on top. Everything else, carrot, celery, paprika or sweet potato, is a matter of household and taste.

Red lentil soup for any number of people

Change the number of people and the bowl size, and every ingredient updates in grams, with the cost, calories and protein per bowl.

Bowl size
Units
2.8litres in the pot
4Pot to use, litres
₪18Cost of the pot
₪2.3per bowl
273kcal per bowl
15.2g protein per bowl
IngredientAmountCost
The base
Olive oil45 ml₪2.4
Medium onions, chopped250 g · 2 pcs₪1.5
Carrots, thinly sliced250 g · 3 pcs₪1.2
Celery stalks, chopped100 g · 2 pcs₪2.0
Garlic cloves, sliced15 g · 4 pcs₪0.5
Lentils and water
Red lentils, rinsed400 g₪6.4
Hot water2.2 l
The seasoning
Ground cumin6 g₪0.5
Turmeric3 g₪0.3
Sweet paprika3 g₪0.3
Salt14 g₪0.0
Black pepper1 g₪0.1
Fresh lemon juice60 ml₪1.2
To finish
Olive oil for drizzling20 ml₪1.1
Chopped parsley15 g₪0.7
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Shelf prices at a large Israeli chain and specialty shops, October 2026. Nutrition from the ingredients in grams, before cooking.

How many calories in Red lentil soup? Nutrition facts and calorie calculator

Change the amount of any ingredient, drop one, or pick a lighter version, and the numbers per serving update at once: calories, fat, carbs, protein, sodium and fibre.

Red lentil soup has 78 calories per 100 ml. A 350 ml bowl made with our recipe has 273 calories: 15.2 g protein, 8.4 g fat and 19.7 g carbohydrates. A 250 ml cup has 195 calories.

Lighter

Ingredients, for the whole recipe

  • 45 ml46 kcal per serving
  • 2 pcs13 kcal per serving
  • 3 pcs13 kcal per serving
  • 2 pcs2 kcal per serving
  • 4 pcs3 kcal per serving
  • 400 g169 kcal per serving
  • 6 g3 kcal per serving
  • 3 g1 kcal per serving
  • 3 g1 kcal per serving
  • 14 g0 kcal per serving
  • 1 g0 kcal per serving
  • 60 ml2 kcal per serving
  • 20 ml20 kcal per serving
  • 15 g1 kcal per serving

What each add-on adds to Red lentil soup

Values for the amount in the row, from the national food database.

Add-onCaloriesProtein, gFat, g
A tablespoon of oil122013.8
A slice of white bread792.50.5
A slice of challah12641.1

How to make Red lentil soup

In cook mode the screen stays on, tap a step when it is done, and the timers run next to each step.
  1. Rinse the red lentils in a fine sieve under running water until the water runs almost clear, about a minute. No soaking needed.
  2. In a 5 litre pot heat the olive oil over medium heat and fry the onion for 8 minutes, until soft and golden at the edges.
  3. Add the carrot, celery and garlic and fry for 5 more minutes. Add the cumin, turmeric and paprika and stir for 30 seconds only, until fragrant.
  4. Add the lentils and the hot water, turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam that rises in the first few minutes.
  5. Lower the heat, partly cover and cook for 25 minutes. Stir to the bottom every 5 minutes, because the lentils sink and stick as they break down.
  6. When the lentils have collapsed and the carrot is completely soft, add the salt and pepper and cook for 5 more minutes.
  7. Turn off the heat and blend with a stick blender until smooth, or blend only half for a soup with texture. If it is too thick, add boiling water 100 ml at a time.
  8. Add the lemon juice, taste and correct the salt and lemon. Let the pot rest for 5 minutes.
  9. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of cumin, chopped parsley and a lemon wedge on the side.

The science of Red lentil soup

Kitchen science

Why red lentils need no soaking

Red lentils are sold hulled and split. With no seed coat, water goes straight into the lentil, the starch gelatinises at around 60 to 70 °C and the cell walls separate, so within 20 minutes they collapse into a purée. Green and brown lentils keep their skins, stay whole and need 35 to 45 minutes.

Kitchen science

Why the lemon goes in last

Acid slows the softening of legumes. In acidic conditions the pectin that glues cell walls together breaks down far more slowly, so lentils cooked with lemon or a lot of tomato from the start take longer to fall apart. Lemon scent is also volatile and boils away, while acid added at the end stays fresh.

Kitchen science

Why the cumin is fried in oil

Cumin's aroma compounds, led by cuminaldehyde, dissolve in fat rather than water. Thirty seconds in hot oil draws them out, and the oil carries them through the whole soup. A minute or more over high heat and the spice burns and turns bitter.

Kitchen science

Why lentil soup thickens in the fridge

As the soup cools, the starch chains released by the lentils realign and bond to each other, a process called retrogradation, trapping water between them. That is why the next day the soup is almost a paste. Reheating with a little water breaks those bonds and the soup turns smooth again.

Kitchen science

What the foam is

The foam is soluble proteins and saponins from the lentils gathering at the surface as the water boils and trapping air. Skimming it gives a cleaner tasting soup and stops the pot boiling over in the first minutes.

Red lentil soup in every kitchen

Iraqi, shorbat adas

Red lentils, cumin and turmeric in a fairly thin, smooth soup served with plenty of lemon. Some families scatter fine noodles toasted in oil until golden on top.

Egyptian

Red lentils with carrot, tomato, celery and cumin, blended completely smooth. Served with lemon and cubes of toasted pita on top or on the side for dipping.

Turkish, mercimek çorbası

Red lentils with onion, carrot and a little tomato paste, blended and served with lemon under a spoonful of hot oil with dried mint and chilli flakes. The version called ezogelin adds bulgur and rice.

Moroccan, with green lentils

Green or brown lentils that stay whole, with tomatoes, celery, coriander, cumin and paprika. A thick soup with texture that cooks for 40 to 45 minutes.

Lebanese, adas bi hamod

Brown lentils with Swiss chard, potatoes, lots of garlic and lots of lemon. It is the sourest of all the versions and comes with pita.

With sweet potato, pumpkin and vegetables

The Israeli home version: 300 g of diced sweet potato or pumpkin goes in with the carrot, and the soup comes out bright orange, sweeter and thicker. Add 200 ml more water.

Common Red lentil soup problems and how to fix them

My lentil soup burned on the bottom

Red lentils sink as they break down and stick to the hot base. Cook over low heat in a heavy pot and stir to the bottom every 5 minutes. If it does catch, do not scrape: carefully pour the top part into a clean pot.

My lentil soup tastes bland

Lentils soak up a lot of salt, and without acid the flavour stays flat. Add salt gradually, another squeeze of lemon and a pinch of cumin, and taste again after a minute. A drizzle of olive oil in the bowl finishes it.

The soup is as thick as porridge

That is the lentil starch, especially the next day. Thin it with boiling water or vegetable stock 100 ml at a time, heat and stir, and correct the salt after thinning.

The soup came out watery

There was too much water, or the lentils had not fully broken down. Cook for 10 more minutes uncovered and blend again. Next time start with 2 litres of water and add more only at the end.

The lentils will not soften

Old lentils, hard water, or lemon and tomato added early all slow softening. Keep cooking for another 10 to 15 minutes, and add the lemon only once the lentils are already falling apart.

Storing, freezing and reheating

4 days

In the fridge

3 months

In the freezer

2+4

To cool

Bring it from 60 to 21 °C within two hours and down to 5 °C within four more. Split a big pot into shallow boxes.

75 °C

Reheating

Reheat over low heat with 100 to 200 ml of water per litre of soup, stirring until it is smooth again. Add a fresh squeeze of lemon only after reheating.

Nutrition of Red lentil soup

From our recipe, per bowl and per 100 g, next to the national food database.

ServingkcalProtein, gFat, gCarbs, gFibre, g
Our recipe, a 350 ml bowl27315.28.419.717.3
Our recipe, 100 ml784.32.45.64.9
Typical Red lentil soup, 100 g654.90.36.05.3
Typical Red lentil soup, 100 g (2)814.82.25.95.2

What the ingredients of Red lentil soup cost

What each ingredient costs in one pot, and where to buy it.

IngredientPriceIn this potWhere to buy
Red lentils, rinsed₪16 per kg₪6.4Supermarket
Olive oil₪53 per litre₪3.5Supermarket
Celery stalks, chopped₪6.9 each₪2Greengrocer
Medium onions, chopped₪5.9 per kg₪1.5Greengrocer
Carrots, thinly sliced₪4.9 per kg₪1.2Greengrocer
Fresh lemon juice₪20 per litre₪1.2Supermarket
Chopped parsley₪4.9 each₪0.7Greengrocer
Ground cumin₪86 per kg₪0.5Supermarket
Garlic cloves, sliced₪34 per kg₪0.5Greengrocer
Turmeric₪86 per kg₪0.3Supermarket
Sweet paprika₪86 per kg₪0.3Supermarket
Black pepper₪139 per kg₪0.1Supermarket
Salt₪2.1 per kg₪0Supermarket

Shelf prices at a large Israeli chain and specialty shops, October 2026, VAT included. Vegetable prices change with the season.

Make Red lentil soup a meal

Shabbat

Ready Shabbat food

Soup, hamin, mains and sides, with a quantity calculator and prices.

Plan Shabbat
Hosting

Hosting trays

9 trays to go with the soup, with a planner by number of guests.

Tray planner
Events

Catering

A whole menu in grams per guest, with a reheating table.

Menus

What to serve with Red lentil soup

Serve hot with lemon wedges, cubes of toasted pita or croutons, and crisp fried onions on top for those who like them. A chopped vegetable salad and olives on the side turn the bowl into a meal.

The cuisine behind Red lentil soup

Iraqi

Iraqi cuisine

Lentil soup is one of the oldest dishes of our region. Lentils have been found at ancient archaeological sites in Syria and around Jericho,…

Iraqi cuisine
Moroccan

Moroccan cuisine

Moroccan cuisine
Lebanese

Lebanese cuisine

Lebanese cuisine

Red lentil soup in large quantities: events, offices and communities

How much of everything by number of guests, at a 350 ml bowl. For institutional pots, catering and community kitchens.

GuestsLitres30 l potsCost of ingredients
258.81₪57
50181₪113
100352₪227
200703₪453
5001757₪1,133

Every ingredient for any number of guests is in the calculator above: type the number of people.

Order Red lentil soup

A ready pot for Shabbat, an event or the office, ordered ahead.

  • Cooked to order, for Shabbat, an event or the office.
  • Tell us how many people and when, and we send a quote.
  • Delivery in Tel Aviv from ₪35, free over ₪750.
Ask for a quote for Red lentil soup

Order Red lentil soup for a large event

Large orders in Israel and abroad: events, offices, synagogues, communities and institutions.

  • In Israel: cooked in Tel Aviv and delivered to events in the area, and to large events anywhere in the country on a quote.
  • Abroad: for communities, events and restaurants. Tell us where, how many and when, and we come back with a quote and options.
  • Institutional quantities and a shopping list for any number of guests, in the calculator above.
Ask for a large-order quote

Frequently asked questions

Do you need to soak red lentils for lentil soup?

No. Red lentils are hulled and split and cook in 20 to 25 minutes. Just rinse them in a sieve until the water runs clear, to wash off dust and excess starch.

What is the difference between red and green lentil soup?

Red lentils fall apart and give a smooth, creamy soup in half an hour. Green or brown lentils stay whole, taste earthier and give a thick soup with texture after 35 to 45 minutes. The same cumin and lemon seasoning suits both.

Can I make green lentil soup without soaking?

Yes. Green and brown lentils cook without soaking in 35 to 45 minutes. A two hour soak shortens cooking by about 10 minutes, but it is not necessary.

How long do you cook red lentil soup?

25 to 30 minutes from the boil, plus 5 minutes after the salt goes in. With frying the onion and vegetables, the whole soup takes about 40 minutes.

Can you freeze lentil soup?

Yes, for up to 3 months in closed containers. It is thicker after thawing, so reheat it with a little water and add fresh lemon at the end.

Which spices go into lentil soup?

Cumin is the base, with turmeric for a golden colour. Sweet paprika, black pepper and lemon round it out. The Turkish version adds dried mint and chilli flakes, the Indian one ginger, garlic and garam masala.

Can I make lentil soup with black lentils?

Yes, but it will be a different soup. Black lentils, also called beluga, keep their shape and cook in 20 to 25 minutes, so they suit a soup with texture rather than a smooth blended one.

How many calories are in Red lentil soup?

A 350 ml bowl of Red lentil soup made with our recipe has about 273 calories and 15.2 g of protein. Per 100 ml: 78 calories.

How much does it cost to make Red lentil soup at home?

A pot of 8 bowls costs about ₪18 at Israeli shelf prices in October 2026, about ₪2.3 a bowl. The calculator above works it out for any number of people.

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