Red lentil soup with Indian spices
Try this recipe for a creamy soup with pungent Indian spices.
This is a delicious soup that's a favorite for everyone in the family — including picky eaters. The lentils become creamy when cooked and combine nicely with pungent Indian spices.
This recipe uses a variety of red lentils called "Petite Crimsons," which are a bit smaller than the more typical "Red Chief" lentils. But any kind of red lentils will do.
The sodium content can be reduced by using low-sodium broth.
Servings: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentils
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 3 large fresh tomatoes, chopped, or 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- juice of 1 lemon
Directions
- Sort lentils, rinse in cool water and drain.
- In a soup pot, heat oil and sauté onion for 2 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add tomato paste, cumin, salt, pepper, and chili powder and sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Add broth, 1 1/2 cups water, lentils, carrots and tomatoes.
- Bring to a simmer, partially cover, and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.
- Taste and add salt as needed and stir in lemon juice. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
Nutrition information (per serving)
- Calories: 320
- Total fat: 12 g
- Saturated fat: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Total carbohydrate: 39
- Dietary fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 16