Adas w Irkak

Last Updated on March 20, 2023 by Jacqueline Rafidi

Adas w irkak (عدس و رقاق ) literally translates to ‘lentils and noodles’ and that’s exactly what this dish is. Each bite is pure comfort!

Adas w Irkak

This meal is simple, humble and uses pantry staples you may already have on hand. Adas w irkak, or lentils and noodles, is also perfect for a weeknight since it really doesn’t take too long to make. Whenever I make this, I give my kids a small piece of the dough from the fresh irkak (noodles) so they can make some along with me or play with a bit of the fresh dough! They love it and it makes them feel like they’re involved which in turn may make them more open to trying new dishes! Win win!

How to make Adas w irkak

The first step is making the dough since it needs to rest. Combine the flour, salt and warm water. No yeast is involved here since we don’t want the dough to rise for the noodles. Knead the dough well for about 5 minutes until you have a smooth ball of dough, spread a bit of olive oil around it which prevents a crust from forming and set aside while you prepare the soup.

Cook up some diced onions in olive oil until they’re translucent, add a bit of minced garlic, the cumin and the washed lentils. Don’t season with salt just yet, it may prevent the lentils from cooking. Add in your water, bring this to a boil, then down to a simmer till the lentils are cooked through – don’t overcook the lentils or the skin will come off!

Flour a clean working surface, cut the dough ball into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick and cut into noodles like fettuccini. Drop the noodles in one at a time to ensure they don’t stick to each other in the pot. These only take a couple minutes to cook!

In another small skillet with olive oil over medium heat, cook up the other onion cut into half moon shapes with some salt and let it caramelize and crisp up – about 8-10 minutes.

To serve, pour the adas w irkak soup into a bowl and top with some of the crispy, caramelized onions and a generous sprinkle of sumac – this lends a nice citrus/lemony flavor that goes SO well with the onions and lentils. Enjoy! Each bite of this meal is pure comfort.

Want more soups like this? Try these!
Mediterranean lentil soup
Aush reshteh

When you make this adas w irkak (lentils and noodles), comment down below and rate this recipe to let me know your thoughts! Also share a picture or tag me on Instagram @thebitewithjackie, I love seeing your remakes!

Adas w Irkak

A simple lentil soup with minimal ingredients and fresh, homemade noodles!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Course Soup

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

For the Irkak (Noodles):

• 1 ¾ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

For the soup:

• 2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon olive oil divided
• 2 medium yellow onions one diced and one cut into half moons
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• 1 ½ cup lentils washed well
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Sumac for serving

Instructions

 

• Prepare the dough first by combining and kneading all ingredients together. Knead for about 5 minutes or until a smooth dough ball forms. Add about ½ teaspoon of olive oil around the entire dough ball to prevent a crust from forming. Cover and let this rest in a warm, draft free place.
• Start on the soup. Add 2 Tablespoons olive oil to a pot over medium heat. Add the diced onions with a sprinkle of salt and cook until translucent. Add the garlic, cumin, lentils and 6 cups of water. Cover halfway, bring it to a boil and down to a simmer until the lentils are cooked.
• Add the second onion to a pan over medium heat with a teaspoon of olive oil and some salt until they’re brown, caramelized and crispy – about 8-10 minutes. Set aside
• Work on the irkak (noodles). Lightly flour a clean working surface and the top of the dough ball. Cut the dough into 4 even pieces so that it’s easier to work with. Working one at a time, roll them out to about 1/8 inch thick, then cut the dough into strips similar to the size of fettuccini or linguini pasta and continue rolling and cutting the rest of the dough.
• Once the lentils are cooked through, add salt and pepper and taste for seasoning. Carefully drop in the noodles, separating them as you drop them to be sure they don’t stick together while cooking – they only take a few minutes to cook. Once the noodles are cooked through, pour the soup into a bowl, top with the crispy, caramelized onions and generously sprinkle on some sumac and enjoy!

Keyword Adas w Irkak, Lentil soup, Lentils