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Persian Lentils Recipes

5 recipes using lentils — Ghormeh sabzi, kebabs, rice — Iran's 2,500-year culinary tradition.

These 5 persian lentils recipes are ready in about 82 minutes on average, with 280–440 kcal per serving, and 20% are rated easy enough for a weeknight. Every recipe includes exact ingredient quantities, step-by-step instructions and full nutrition per serving.

recipes

82 min

average time

358 kcal

avg per serving

20%

easy recipes

How Persian cuisine cooks with lentils

Persian cooking is elegant and aromatic — jewelled rices, herb-packed stews and a signature balance of sour, sweet and floral notes. When Persian cooks work with lentils, they reach for saffron, dried lime, turmeric, mint, barberries and rosewater, and the techniques that come up most across these recipes are simmering, boiling, frying and roasting.

Quick-cooking pulses that bring earthy heartiness and plant protein to soups, dals, stews and salads. In this collection it's most often cooked with olive oil, kashk, onions, butter, ground cumin and fine sea salt. The dishes here span persian classics ready in as little as 45 minutes to slower, more involved cooking that rewards a relaxed afternoon.

5 Persian Lentils Recipes

✨ NewSoup

Ash Reshteh

A hearty Persian soup filled with noodles, beans, and herbs.

⏱ 120 min🔥 300 kcalMedium

✨ NewSoup

Ash-e Reshteh (Persian Herb and Noodle Soup with Kashk)

Ash-e reshteh is Iran's beloved thick noodle soup loaded with legumes, spinach, and fresh herbs, finished with caramelised onion, turmeric, and sour kashk — served on Nowruz and at times of prayer.

⏱ 120 min🔥 380 kcalMedium

✨ NewSalads

Persian Herbed Rice Salad (Salad-e Adas va Sabzi)

Cooked rice and lentils tossed with abundant fresh herbs and a lemon-olive oil dressing, a light Persian-inspired grain salad.

⏱ 45 min🔥 280 kcalEasy

✨ NewLunch

Persian Herbed Rice Bowl with Roasted Onions and Lentils (Adas Polo)

Saffron rice layered with lentils, dates and deeply roasted onions, inspired by Persian adas polo.

⏱ 65 min🔥 440 kcalMedium

✨ NewLunch

Persian Lentil and Rice Bowl with Dried Lime and Tahini

Warm-spiced lentils and rice brightened with tart dried lime and a tahini drizzle.

⏱ 60 min🔥 390 kcalHard

Choosing & preparing lentils

How to choose

Choose by type: red/yellow lentils break down into creamy dals and soups; green and Puy lentils hold their shape for salads and sides. Look for whole, unbroken, uniform pulses.

Prep & storage

No soaking needed — just rinse and pick out any stones. Add salt and acid towards the end, since early acidity can keep them firm; aromatics in the cooking water build flavour from the start.

Nutrition

An excellent source of plant protein, fibre, iron and folate, with a low glycaemic impact that keeps you full.

Classic flavour partners: cumin, garlic, onion, ginger, tomatoes, spinach

Persian Lentils Recipes — FAQ

How long do Persian lentils recipes take to make?

Most of these 5 Persian lentils recipes are ready in around 82 minutes from start to finish. The quickest, Persian Herbed Rice Salad (Salad-e Adas va Sabzi), takes about 45 minutes, while the slower-cooked dishes run up to 120 minutes.

How many calories are in Persian lentils dishes?

Across this collection they range from about 280 to 440 kcal per serving, averaging 358 kcal — Persian Herbed Rice Salad (Salad-e Adas va Sabzi) is the lightest option at 280 kcal.

What is the easiest Persian lentils recipe for beginners?

Persian Herbed Rice Salad (Salad-e Adas va Sabzi) is a great place to start — it's rated easy and comes together in about 45 minutes. 20% of the recipes here are beginner-friendly.

What goes well with lentils in Persian cooking?

In these recipes, lentils is most often paired with olive oil, kashk, onions, butter, ground cumin and fine sea salt. Persian kitchens also lean on saffron, dried lime, turmeric, mint, barberries and rosewater.