Recipes by Rupa Sethu

Dal Soup

To most Indians, dal is the ultimate comfort food and central to everyday home cooking. The word Dal is used two ways – the ingredient and the dish. Split peas, pulses, lentils and beans are all called ‘dal’. On the other hand, familiar Indian dishes such as Tadka Dal and Dal Makhni are also called ‘dal’! There are many types of dal, each with a distinctive taste. The low-sodium warming dal soup presented here has roots in a traditional dal recipe. However, this dish is meant to be eaten as soup, rather than as part of a larger Indian meal.

Ingredients

These are rough guidelines. Feel free to play with the quantities to adjust to your taste. Less is more!

  • 1 small red onion
  • 1/2 inch ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3-4 large juicy tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup of Toor Dal (or Moong dal), cooked
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • a handful of cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons of oil (or ghee if you have it)

Method

First cook the dal using the method of your choice. I use a pressure cooker. Some of you may prefer an Insta-pot. If you have no special equipment, you can cook it in a covered stockpot, with enough water to cover the dal and have some extra to boil down, over medium-low heat. If you cook the dal using this low and slow approach, it will bring out the best flavor. Check to make sure you have enough water as it cooks. You will know the dal is done if it mashes easily. You can cook the dal ahead of time and it will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.

  • Start with a heavy stock pot and add the oil or ghee, on medium heat.
  • Add the onions, ginger, and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions start to brown.
  • Then add the tomatoes and the cooked dal. Whisk in some water to get a thick soupy consistency.
  • Finally, add all the spices and the cilantro and let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes. Take it off the heat.
  • Let cool then blend the soup till it is absolutely smooth.
  • To serve, warm up the soup and stir in a squirt of lemon juice. Salt the individual bowls.

Variation: While this soup is great as is, you can also add a bit of coconut milk while cooking for added creaminess.

Enjoy this low-sodium warming dal soup with bread of your choice. Bonus: This is a gluten-free and vegan-friendly dish too!