Indian Lentil Soup (Masoor Dal Soup)
A simple, healthy Indian-style lentil soup made with red lentils (masoor dal), mild spices and vegetables — light, nourishing and easy to cook for beginners.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Wash and rinse the red lentils thoroughly under running water until water runs clear.
- In a pressure cooker or saucepan, heat oil or ghee on medium flame. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle for a few seconds.
- Add chopped onion, garlic and grated ginger. Sauté until onion turns soft and translucent.
- Add chopped tomato (and carrot if using) and turmeric powder. Mix well and cook for 2–3 minutes until tomato softens.
- Add the rinsed lentils and water. Stir once, cover with lid (or close pressure cooker), and cook until lentils are soft — about 3–4 whistles if using pressure cooker, or about 20 minutes in saucepan.
- Once cooked, let pressure release naturally. Then open the lid and check that lentils are soft and cooked through. Add salt as per taste.
- Use a blender or hand-mixer to gently blend the soup to a smooth (or slightly coarse) consistency, depending on preference.
- Bring the blended soup back to a simmer for 2–3 minutes. Adjust consistency by adding little hot water, if too thick.
- Serve hot, garnished with fresh coriander leaves. Optionally, add a dash of lemon juice for extra flavour.
Notes
This soup is light and easy to digest. For extra nutrition and fibre, you can add chopped vegetables like carrot, spinach or beans along with tomato.