Syrian Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard and Pomegranate Molasses (Adas bil Hamod)
A tangy, garlicky Syrian lentil soup built on tender green lentils, silky Swiss chard and a generous pour of pomegranate molasses. Finished with a sizzle of garlic and cilantro, it is hearty, vegan and ready in about an hour.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Wait
- 5 min
- Total
- 1 hr 20 min
- Makes
- About 2 quarts (1.9 liters), 6 bowls
Steps
Before you start
- Sort the lentils on a plate and pick out any pebbles, then rinse them in a fine sieve until the water runs mostly clear. Green or brown lentils work. Red lentils will dissolve and will not give the right texture.
- Wash the chard well, because the stems and leaves hold grit. Separate the stems from the leaves, as they cook for different lengths of time.
- Pomegranate molasses brands vary in tartness and sweetness. Start with the amount listed, then adjust at the end.
- Have the garlic and cilantro chopped before you start. The final garlic-cilantro sizzle takes only 2 minutes.
Sweat the onion
- Heat 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil in a 5- to 6-quart pot over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the diced onion and a pinch of the salt.
- Cook, stirring often, for 7 to 8 minutes.
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Ready when: Onion is soft, translucent and golden at the edges, not browned.
Tip: If the onion browns quickly, lower the heat. Dark onion will make the soup taste bitter.
Add stems and spices
- Stir in the sliced chard stems and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic, cumin and coriander.
- Stir constantly for 45 seconds.
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Ready when: Stems have softened slightly and the spices smell toasty and fragrant.
Tip: Do not let the garlic darken, or it will taste acrid.
Simmer the lentils
- Add the rinsed lentils, cubed potato, 7 cups (1650 ml) water, 1½ teaspoons salt and the pepper.
- Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam.
- Reduce to low, partially cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Stir once or twice.
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Ready when: Lentils are almost tender but still hold their shape, and the potato is just soft when pierced with a knife.
Tip: Add the molasses later. Acid added early keeps lentils from softening.
Wilt the chard
- Stir in the chopped chard leaves in two handfuls, letting the first wilt before adding the second.
- Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Leaves are dark, silky and tender, and the lentils are completely soft when pressed between your fingers.
Tip: If the soup looks thicker than you like, add ½ cup (120 ml) hot water.
Thicken slightly
- Turn off the heat.
- Using a potato masher or the back of a ladle, crush about one-quarter of the lentils and potato against the side of the pot with 8 to 10 presses.
- Stir well.
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Ready when: Soup looks creamy and lightly thickened, with whole lentils still visible.
Tip: You can also blend 1½ cups of soup with an immersion blender in short pulses.
Add tang
- Return the pot to low heat.
- Stir in the pomegranate molasses and lemon juice.
- Simmer gently for 3 minutes, then taste.
- Add more salt, or 1 more teaspoon of molasses, until the soup tastes bright and tangy but balanced.
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Ready when: Soup has a deep reddish-brown tint and a clear sweet-sour flavor.
Tip: Salt makes the tang stand out. If it tastes flat, add salt before more acid.
Sizzle garlic and cilantro
- Heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil in an 8-inch (20 cm) skillet over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the minced garlic and stir for 45 to 60 seconds.
- Add the chopped cilantro and stir for 30 seconds more, then remove from the heat.
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Ready when: Garlic is pale gold and fragrant, and the cilantro is bright green and wilted.
Tip: Take it off the heat as soon as the garlic turns pale gold. It keeps cooking in the hot oil.
Finish and rest
- Scrape the garlic-cilantro mixture and all the oil into the soup and stir through.
- Cover the pot off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes so the flavors blend.
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Ready when: Soup smells strongly of garlic and cilantro.
Serve
- Ladle into warm bowls.
- Sprinkle with Aleppo pepper if you like.
- Serve hot with warm pita or crusty bread, and extra lemon wedges or molasses at the table.
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Ready when: Soup is steaming hot and spoonable, not stiff.
Tip: Thin with a splash of hot water if it has thickened while standing.
Good to know
Tips
- Use brown or green lentils, not red. Red lentils break down into a purée and lose the texture of this soup.
- Add the pomegranate molasses only after the lentils are fully tender. Acid early on can leave the lentils firm.
- The garlic-cilantro sizzle at the end is what makes this soup distinctive. Do not skip it or cook it ahead.
- Taste after every adjustment. Salt, molasses and lemon all shift the balance, so add them in small amounts.
Make ahead
"Make the soup through step 6 up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat gently, adding ½ cup (120 ml) water if needed, then make the garlic-cilantro finish fresh and stir it in just before serving."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) of headspace. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat over medium-low heat, stirring often, adding a splash of water to loosen. The soup thickens as it stands."
Substitutions
- Swiss chard leaves → Lacinato kale or spinach. Kale needs 5 to 8 extra minutes of simmering. Spinach needs only 2 to 3 minutes, so add it last.
- pomegranate molasses → 2 tbsp lemon juice plus 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar. Gives similar sweet-sour balance but less depth. Taste and adjust.
- green or brown lentils → French green (Puy) lentils. They hold their shape better. Simmer 5 minutes longer.
- fresh cilantro → Flat-leaf parsley. Gives a milder, less citrusy flavor.
