Persian Lentil Soup with Ras El Hanout

This zesty and lightly spiced Persian Lentil Soup is bursting with rich flavours and a satisfying texture. Quick and easy to prepare, it features protein-packed lentils (no soaking required) and a fragrant blend of Ras el Hanout, turmeric and aromatic spices from India, North Africa and the Middle East. Nourishing and deeply flavorful, this fusion lentil soup is both comforting and bold.

A fusion of Persian, Middle Eastern and Indian lentil soups

Inspired by Adasi, the traditional Iranian lentil soup, and Indian dal, a citrusy, turmeric-infused lentil dish, this lentil soup recipe brings together the best of Persian, Middle Eastern and Indian cuisines for a unique, spiced lentil soup with a deliciously modern twist.

In Indian cuisine, pulses such as lentils are known as dal (often spelt daal or dhal) and are an important staple food in the Indian subcontinent. The word derives from the ancient Sanskrit word dal - meaning to split, and describes the appearance of lentils, beans and peas which, once hulled, shows a small bean made up of two semi-spherical like parts. Lentils are prepared in several ways. The term ‘dal’ is generally used to cover all the various soups that can be made using all different kinds of pulses, however, they are commonly also used in fried snacks such as the popular Indian fritter, vada and a dal paste which is fried to make crispy salted sticks, a prevalent component in snacks such as Gujarati or Bombay mix and also used to make besum, a chickpea flour used in the making of bhajis.  

Persian influence on Indian cooking

In this instance, our rendition of a Persian lentil soup takes inspiration from an authentic Indian dal soup classically flavoured with turmeric and lemon and pairs it with a hit of Ras el Hanout, an Arabic spice mix that means “head of the shop” or in other words, a combination of the best spices a spice merchant has to offer.

Indian cuisine already has its Persian influences via the Parsi community who migrated to the Indian subcontinent way back in the seventh century in the days of the Arab-Islamic conquest of Iran. With them, the Parsis took wonderful ingredients, spices and cooking techniques which have stood the test of time with at least two iconic curry dishes that to this day are still adorning Indian restaurant menus across the globe. One being Pathia, a Persian sweet and spicy curry and Dhansak, one of the most favoured curries of all time. It is this Dhansak, with its unique combination of lentils and spices traditionally used to supplement an expensive piece of meat (often lamb) to go further, that has also influenced us to bring these two wonderful cuisines together again for our iteration of a Persian lentil soup.

Ras el Hanout soup

There are many herbs and spices intrinsic to Arabic, Middle Eastern and North African cuisine, many of which come from indigenous plants and berries. The flavour profiles prevalent in Arabic spices are diverse and range from exhibiting sour or tart notes, such as sumac and dried limes to unique floral notes from the use of rose and saffron. Other ingredients exhibit woody and aromatic notes such as cinnamon and cardamom as well as sweet and nutty flavours with the use of pistachio and nutmeg to name a few. 

The beauty of both Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine is that they both enjoy highly spiced dishes. To make a curry powder for example, blends of multiple spices are already used and certain blends often contain the same ingredients so using Ras el Hanout which although there is no definitive collection of ingredients used does use many spices already present in many of the Indian spice blends. The addition of some of the more intrinsic notes here make all the difference. Shared ingredients that Ras el Hanout has in common with traditional spice blends include cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves, but when rose is added for example which is a common constituent in Ras el Hanout the addition is notable and gives it a Persian accent. This simplicity makes it easy to combine a traditional Indian Dal Soup and Persian spices to create a lentil soup which feels like it hails from the Middle East in its own right.

Saffron, Za’atar and Dukkah for more flavour

Further embellishments can be used at the end as a garnish such as a swirl of saffron-infused yoghurt made by grinding a few strands of saffron in a pestle and mortar and adding a dash of boiling water before stirring into the yoghurt as well as Za’atar, a middle-eastern spice blend of toasted sesame seeds, herbs and sumac (the tart dried berry of the sumac flower) or dukkah, a North African / Middle Eastern pounded seed, nut and spice blend. Both give a herbal seeded crunchy texture to contrast with the puree texture of the cooked lentils. A little chilli oil or sambal goes really well too with its gentle hit of spice and vibrant rouge appearance.

Choosing the right lentils for Persian lentil soup

The preparation is simple and results in a wonderfully exotic spiced soup in roughly half an hour. For the lentils, we have two types, split red lentils and yellow split peas. Both soften down but the red lentils will become almost pureed whilst the yellow variety will keep a little bite.

How to make Persian lentil soup with Ras el Hanout

The base of this Persian lentil soup starts like many soups with the frying of some chopped onion in some olive oil to which we add grated ginger, garlic and lentils so that they coat in the oil and start releasing flavour. Next, we add the Ras el Hanout and a little bit more turmeric (which will most probably be in the spice mix already but a little more brings out an even more golden hue. The next addition is the liquid component and some tinned tomatoes which gives it the dhansak dimension. For the stock we use chicken or bone broth but a vegetable stock can also be used to keep this vegetarian or vegan. Next, we add some lemon quarters with the skin still on and simply simmer for 20-25 minutes. The lemony flavour with the spice mix keeps the Persian lentil soup light, fresh and zesty, yet with the bite of the softened lentils the soup is hearty enough for a full meal. To give this a luscious texture and keep a quick cooking time, remove two-thirds of the soup (minus the lemon) and process in a blender before combining it back with the rest of the soup. Dal soup is just one of our all-time favourites soups, but adding a bit of Middle Eastern magic into it, we believe moves it up the soup ranks even more.

A final flourish of a swirl of saffron yoghurt, a sprinkle of Dukkah or Za’atar or simply a handful of torn coriander/cilantro and a dash of sesame/chilli oil finishes our Persian lentil soup off perfectly.

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Persian Lentil Soup with Ras el Hanout recipe

This zesty and lightly spiced Persian Lentil Soup is a fusion of Middle Eastern shorbet adas and Indian dal. Featuring Ras el Hanout and turmeric, this recipe brings together the best of Persian, Arabic and Indian flavours.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

  

• ⅓ of a cup red lentils (or 60g)
• ⅓ of a cup yellow split peas (or 60g)
• 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic
• 1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger
• ½ tablespoon of Ras el Hanout
• ½ teaspoon of turmeric
• 1 white onion finely diced
• 1 litre of chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1 lemon quartered
• ⅔ cup tinned crushed tomatoes (or 150g)
• A pinch of Za’atar or Dukkah
• Garnish: a drizzle of sesame oil, fresh coriander/cilantro leaves

Instructions

 

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onions and fry until translucent for approximately 8 minutes.
• Add the ginger, garlic, Ras el Hanout, red lentils and yellow split peas and stir through the oil and onions for 1- 2 minutes.
• Add the crushed tomatoes, stock and two lemon quarters and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
• Ladle ⅔ of the soup (minus the lemon) into a blender and process until smooth. Combine the smooth soup back into the pan with the un-processed soup to re-heat.
• Serve in bowls and garnish with Za’atar or Dukkah, the remaining lemon quarters, fresh coriander/cilantro and sesame oil.

Notes

Serving size:
This Persian lentil soup with Ras el Hanout serves 2 people as a main course or 4 smaller portions as a starter. To serve more, simply double the ingredients while adjusting liquid amounts as needed.

Storage and reheating:

• Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove or microwave, adding a splash of water or stock if needed.
• Freezer: Freeze in portion-sized airtight containers for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely before freezing.
• Reheating from frozen: Thaw overnight in the fridge or reheat directly from frozen on the stove over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Variations:

• For a thicker texture: Blend more of the soup for a creamier consistency.
• Make it vegan: Use vegetable stock instead of chicken/bone broth.
• Meat: Stir in shredded chicken or lamb for a heartier meal.
• Garnish ideas: Top with Za’atar, Dukkah, fresh coriander/cilantro or a drizzle of sesame oil for extra flavour and texture.