Tag Archives: lentil

Lentil Soup with Tomato and Basil

Lentil Soup with Tomato and BasilThis is one of my favorite soups. It’s delicious, quick and easy to make, which is the ideal combination for my busy life. The real secret to this recipe is the sun-dried tomatoes, but you really can’t go wrong with anything based on tomatoes and basil, and as an added bonus, the lentils make it a hearty soup. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

1 cup lentils (rinsed)
2 cups vegetable broth
3 cups water
1 peeled and chopped carrot
1/2 cup reconstituted, chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 chopped medium onion
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add all other ingredients and bring to boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Buy the What Dawn Eats: Vegan food that isn’t weird cookbook for more recipes like this one.

Variations

  • Add 1/2 cup rice and an additional 1 cup water.
  • Experiment with additional spices. Oregano and thyme would make good choices.
  • Make a spicy soup by adding some crushed red pepper or chopped chili peppers.
  • Add a few mushrooms, broccoli or other vegetables.
  • Naturally gluten-free and can be easily made low-sodium by substituting water from reconstituting the sun-dried tomatoes in place of the vegetable broth.

More information for Lentil Soup with Tomato and Basil recipe:

  • Prep time: 10 min
  • Cook time: 40 min
  • Total time: 50 min

Creamy Red Lentil Dal

This is a creamy variation of a more traditional red lentil dal that is great comfort food on a cold evening. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

4 cups cooked brown basmati rice
1 cup red lentils
2 cups water or vegetable broth
1 can coconut milk
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoon freshly ground coriander
2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cardamom
freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
cayenne pepper or chopped hot peppers to taste

Pick through the lentils to make sure that there aren’t any lentil shaped stones that crept in during harvesting. Rinse the lentils in cold water and set aside in a strainer.

Heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions. Sauté for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent to golden and soft. Add garlic, ginger, coriander and cumin. Sauté for about a minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the lentils and remaining ingredients, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Serve over rice.

Pictured: Red Lentil Dal (center) with Chana Masala (upper left) and Indian Spiced Cauliflower (upper right)

Variations

  • Serve with naan instead of (or in addition to) the rice.
  • You can use an immersion blender to make this even creamier.
  • Can be easily made low-sodium and gluten-free.

More information for Creamy Red Lentil Dal recipe:

  • Prep time: 10 min
  • Cook time: 50 min
  • Total time: 60 min