This lemony lentil and swiss chard soup, adas bi hamod, is a Lebanese classic. It’s a healthy, delicious, and easy vegan lentil soup that fills you up and feeds a crowd! How to video included.

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What is adas bi hamod?
It literally translates to “lentils in lemon”. It’s a good description of this flavorful Lebanese lemon lentil soup, with lentils and swiss chard in a tangy and fulfilling broth.
Why should I make this soup?
The soup is vegan/vegetarian friendly, gluten free, and really simple to prepare.
It can be made in advance and feeds a crowd.
This lentil soup is also so clean and healthy, full of fiber and nutrients. It’s super diet friendly, but so full of flavor that it won’t feel like diet food.
It’s very little hands on time, and comes together really quickly.
What ingredients do I need for this lemony lentil soup?

- Olive Oil
- Onions
- Brown lentils– or green lentils Avoid orange and red lentils, they won’t hold their shape and will sort of turn into mush.
- Potato- a peeled diced potato
- Salt, black pepper, cumin powder, and dried mint
- Vegetable stock cubes (or chicken)
- Swiss chard
- Garlic cloves
- Cilantro (coriander)
- Lemon juice- this is a very lemony soup, but you can taste and adjust amount of lemon however you like.
Steps to make adas bi hamod:



- Start off by sautéing the onions in olive oil until softened.
- Add the lentils and diced potatoes, the spices, stock cubes and water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft and cooked through. Stir in the swiss chard. Cover and simmer for another 25-30 minutes until swiss chard is completely cooked through.
- In a skillet, add the rest of the olive oil, and sauté garlic and cilantro until garlic starts to brown. Add this to the pot of soup, along with lemon juice. Stir, taste and adjust seasoning, and enjoy!
What can I serve this with?
I find it hearty enough to be a substantial meal on it’s own, but this would work well with crispy pita bread, fluffy dinner rolls, or this delicious cheese stuffed honeycomb bread.
Storing leftover lentil soup:

Leftover lentil soup can be stored in the fridge for around 5 days in a tightly covered container.
It freezes really well too, in a freezer safe bag or tightly closed container for 4-6 months. You can save it in bulk, or divide into individual portions.
To reheat, you can thaw overnight in the fridge, then gently reheat over medium low.
Recipe FAQs:
Nope! Just make sure to rinse them, and pick out any debris or small stones.
Yes, spinach would make a great substitute. You can use fresh spinach, or just stir in some frozen spinach until it thaws.
You can use green lentils, but red or yellow ones won’t hold their shape so I wouldn’t recommend using those.

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Adas bi hamod
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and checked for debris
- 1 potato, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried mint
- 8 cups water
- 2 vegetable stock cubes (or chicken)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
- 1 bunch cilantro (coriander) chopped
- 2 bunches swiss chard, leaves and stems chopped 1 lb or 500 g
- 1/4 cup lemon juice about 2 lemons, squeezed
Instructions
- In a large pot, add half the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the diced onions and sauté several minutes until soft.
- Add the lentils and potatoes, and stir to mix. Add the salt, pepper, cumin powder, and dried mint, all the water, and the stock cubes. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until lentils and potatoes are cooked through.
- Meanwhile, add the remainder of the olive oil to a separate skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped cilantro and crushed garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes until garlic is light brown and crispy. Remove from the heat and set aside until later.
- Once the lentils and potatoes have cooked, remove the cover and stir in the swiss chard. Cover again, and simmer on medium low for 25-30 minutes until chard is tender and dark green.
- Stir in the lemon juice and the garlic/cilantro mix. Taste and adjust seasonings. Enjoy!
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