You can use tinned lentils if you don’t have raw. Simply add 2 tins roughly 15 minutes into cooking the soup and simmer them for 5 minutes before you serve up.
Go wild with your own spices. Cumin, ground coriander and even paprika would all work well as substitutes.
No tomatoes? Don’t fret, you can always add frozen veggies for nutrition.
We use coconut oil but vegetable oil and olive oil will also work fine.
This soup is a great meal prep option too. Make ahead of time and store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Who’s currently on LOCKDOWN right now? For this super simple ‘Store-Cupboard’ Dhal Soup, we used up ingredients we already had in our kitchen. It’s sooo good and you can easily make it your own!
handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley or coriander (15g / 0.5oz)
handful of crushed pistachios and cashews
Instructions
Add 1-2 tbsp of coconut oil to a pot over a medium heat.
Peel and dice the red onion. As soon as the oil has melted, add the onion to the pot and fry for 5 minutes until the onion begins to caramelise.
Meanwhile peel and dice the garlic and ginger. Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and chop them. Add the garlic, ginger, cardamon, curry powder, turmeric and chilli flakes, and fry for 3 minutes.
Rinse the lentils under cold water and roughly chop the cherry tomatoes. Add them to the pot along with the vegetable stock and 1 litre (33.8 fl.oz) of hot water from a kettle. Add a pinch of salt and give everything a good stir. Bring the dhal soup to a boil, then lower and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the lentils have cooked and they’ve begun to break down into the soup.
When the dhal soup is ready, this is where we like to blend roughly half of the soup to make it extra creamy, but this step is totally optional. Finally squeeze in the juice from the lemon half and season to taste with extra salt, if necessary.
Serve the soup in bowls and top with the fresh herbs and crushed nuts. Deeeelicious.
I made this tonight for my dinner, I had to add a bit more curry powder, as I like it a bit hotter, but other than that it was very tasty, and I’ve also got more to take to work for my lunch.
coconut oil, for frying
5 Comments
I made this tonight for my dinner, I had to add a bit more curry powder, as I like it a bit hotter, but other than that it was very tasty, and I’ve also got more to take to work for my lunch.
Thanks Pete!
I only have half the amount of lentils? Could I soak yellow spot peas for the other half overnight?
What’s the substitute for stock?
Tinned tomatoes to make it properly store cupboard when you have NOTHING fresh to offer!