Dal Soup

Yum! This is one of our staples. Lentils are cheap. We buy a big bag of rice from Costco (this is Basmati, which tastes better than jasmine, from our local food co-op), diced tomatoes from Costco, and coconut milk by the case from the co-op to save some costs. The recipe comes from our friend Kelsey’s book, Vegetarian Cooking by Fiona Biggs.

Ingredients:

2 T butter (I use canola oil, because Earth Balance is pricey!)
2 or more garlic cloves, crushed or sliced
1 onion (we use less, and I used flakes this time, because we were out of onion. Good results!)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 lbs 4 oz (2 14 oz cans works) canned, chopped toms & juice
1 cup lentils (green is the way to go, because red get mushy)
2 tsp lemon juice
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock (or whatever stock or bouillon is lying around)
1 1/4 cups coconut milk (1 14 oz can)
salt and pepper to taste
serve with naan, white or brown rice

Process:

Melt butter (or heat oil), add garlic and onion and saute 2-3 minutes. Add turmeric, garam masala, chili powder, and cumin. Stir in tomatoes, lentils, lemon juice, stock, and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, ~30 minutes until lentils are tender. Season with salt and pepper.