Syrian Chicken Lentil Soup with Cumin and Lemon

Name: Syrian Chicken Lentil Soup with Cumin and Lemon
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 2 min
Total time: 1 h 22 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Syrian
Ingredients: 3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 large (about 9 oz) (250 g) yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped (¼-inch / 6 mm pieces); 3 medium (about 9 oz) (250 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, peeled and minced; 2 tsp (4 g) ground cumin; 1 tsp (2 g) ground coriander; ½ tsp (1 g) ground turmeric; 1½ lb (4 thighs) (680 g) bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed, patted dry; 8 cups (1900 ml) water, cold; 1½ cups (about 10.5 oz) (300 g) split red lentils, rinsed and drained; 2 tsp (10 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 2 lemons, strained; 1 whole (100 g) lemon, cut into 6 wedges; ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; ½ tsp (1 g) Aleppo pepper flakes (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A velvety, golden red lentil soup built on bone-in chicken thighs, sweet carrots, and warm cumin. A good squeeze of fresh lemon at the end brightens every spoonful, as in the classic Syrian shorbet adas.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1 hr 2 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 1 hr 32 min
Makes: About 9 cups (2.1 L), 6 generous bowls

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Ingredients

6 servings

3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 large (about 9 oz) (250 g) yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped (¼-inch / 6 mm pieces)
3 medium (about 9 oz) (250 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice
4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tsp (4 g) ground cumin
1 tsp (2 g) ground coriander
½ tsp (1 g) ground turmeric
1½ lb (4 thighs) (680 g) bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed, patted dry
8 cups (1900 ml) water, cold
1½ cups (about 10.5 oz) (300 g) split red lentils, rinsed and drained
2 tsp (10 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 2 lemons, strained
For serving
1 whole (100 g) lemon, cut into 6 wedges
¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ tsp (1 g) Aleppo pepper flakes (optional)

Equipment (6)

5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven with lid
Immersion blender (or a countertop blender and a ladle)
Fine-mesh strainer
Instant-read thermometer
Two forks or tongs for shredding chicken
Chef's knife and cutting board

Steps

Before you start

Rinse the red lentils in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain well.
Remove the skin from the chicken thighs (pull it off with a paper towel for grip) so the soup is not greasy. Keep the bones in for flavor.
Squeeze the lemons before you start so the juice is ready when you need it. You need about ¼ cup (60 ml) plus wedges for serving.
Use a 5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) heavy pot, so the soup has room to simmer and be blended without splashing.

1
Prep the ingredients
- Chop the onion, dice the carrots, and mince the garlic.
- Rinse and drain the lentils, and remove the skin from the chicken thighs.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Squeeze the lemons, strain out the seeds, and cut the extra lemon into 6 wedges.
- Chop the parsley.
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Ready when: Vegetables are in even pieces and everything is within reach of the stove.
Tip: Dice the carrots small and evenly so they soften at the same pace as the onion.
2
Sauté onion and carrot
- Heat the olive oil in the pot over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the onion, carrots, and ½ tsp of the salt.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 8 minutes.
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Ready when: The onion is soft and translucent, and the carrots have brightened and begun to soften, with no browning.
Tip: If the vegetables begin to brown, lower the heat. Browning gives a darker, less delicate soup.
3
Bloom garlic and spices
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, and turmeric.
- Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute so the spices toast in the oil.
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Ready when: The mixture smells strongly of toasted cumin and the garlic is fragrant but not browned.
Tip: Move quickly to the next step. Scorched garlic and spices turn bitter.
4
Simmer the chicken
- Nestle the chicken thighs into the pot and pour in the water.
- Add the remaining 1½ tsp salt and the black pepper.
- Bring to a boil over high heat (about 8 minutes), skimming off any gray foam with a spoon.
- Reduce to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
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Ready when: The broth bubbles gently (not a hard boil) and the chicken is opaque on the outside.
Tip: A gentle simmer keeps the chicken tender and the broth clear and clean-tasting.
5
Add the lentils
- Stir in the rinsed lentils and return to a simmer.
- Partially cover and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and scraping the bottom of the pot so the lentils don't stick.
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Ready when: The lentils have collapsed into a thick, soft purée-like texture, and the chicken reads 175°F (80°C) in the thickest part, away from the bone.
Tip: Skim off any foam that rises when the lentils first heat up, for a cleaner flavor.
6
Rest the chicken
- Turn off the heat.
- Use tongs to move the chicken thighs to a plate.
- Let them cool for 10 minutes until safe to handle.
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Ready when: The chicken is cool enough to handle comfortably.
Tip: Fish out any bones that slipped off into the soup before blending.
7
Shred the chicken
- Pull the meat from the bones in large pieces, discarding the bones and any cartilage.
- Shred the meat into bite-size strands with two forks.
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Ready when: All meat is shredded into bite-size pieces with no bones or gristle.
8
Blend the soup
- With the pot off the heat, blend the soup with an immersion blender for about 1 minute until mostly smooth, leaving a few tiny bits of carrot for texture.
- If using a countertop blender, work in 2 batches, fill no more than half full, and vent the lid with a towel over it.
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Ready when: The soup is thick, creamy, and uniformly golden-orange. Thin it with ½ cup (120 ml) hot water if it is thicker than heavy cream.
Tip: Hot soup expands in a sealed blender. Never fully close the lid without venting.
9
Finish with lemon
- Return the pot to medium-low heat.
- Stir in the shredded chicken and the lemon juice.
- Heat for 3 minutes until the chicken is hot.
- Taste, and add more salt (¼ tsp at a time) or lemon juice if needed.
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Ready when: The soup steams and tastes bright, savory, and lightly tangy, with cumin coming through.
Tip: Add the lemon at the end. Long cooking dulls its fresh flavor.
10
Serve
- Ladle into warm bowls.
- Top with chopped parsley and a pinch of Aleppo pepper, if using.
- Serve with a lemon wedge on the side for each bowl.
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Tip: Serve with warm pita or toasted flatbread for dunking.

Good to know

Tips

Rinse the lentils well. This removes dust and excess starch and keeps foam to a minimum.
Stir the pot regularly once the lentils go in. As they break down, the soup thickens and can scorch on the bottom.
Add the lemon juice off a vigorous simmer and at the very end for the brightest flavor.
For an extra-traditional touch, toast ½ tsp whole cumin seeds in a dry pan for 1 minute, crush them, and sprinkle over the bowls.

Make ahead

The soup tastes even better the next day. Complete the recipe through step 8 (blending) up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate the soup and shredded chicken together. Reheat, then add the lemon juice just before serving.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 3 months (leave 1 inch / 2.5 cm of headspace). Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring often, adding a splash of water, since the soup thickens as it sits. Add fresh lemon juice after reheating.

Substitutions

bone-in chicken thighs → bone-in chicken breasts. Simmer only until they reach 165°F (74°C), about 25–30 minutes total, then remove them. The soup will be a bit leaner and less rich.
water → low-sodium chicken broth. Gives a deeper flavor. Reduce the salt to 1 tsp at the start and adjust at the end.
split red lentils → yellow split lentils (or split yellow peas). Increase the lentil simmer time by 10 minutes, until completely soft.
Aleppo pepper flakes → red pepper flakes or mild paprika. Use a smaller pinch of red pepper flakes, since they are hotter.