When the weather starts to cool, it’s nice to have warm comfort food that’s nutritious as well as satisfying. This recipe is adapted from The Best Easy Dal Recipe by Happy Veggie Kitchen. The name implies that there are probably quite a few more complicated ways to make Dal… but we’re keeping it simple.

You may know from our lentil soup recipe what a powerhouse of nutrients and protein lentils are for vegans, and mixed with this blend of spices makes this a truly anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting meal.

Makes 4 servings

30 min preparation

1 Cup (190 g) dry red lentils
Handful of green or black lentils for texture
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1 lemon, squeezed

Tarka (fried spices)

1 small onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin)
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Dash of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala
Dash of ground coriander
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons salted butter or coconut oil

Garnish

Fresh cilantro or a chiffonade of basil (a culinary technique where you stack fresh basil leaves, roll them together, and slice them thinly into strips or ribbons)

Rinse the lentils in a sieve, then put them in a large saucepan with the turmeric, a pinch of salt and 3 cups (700 ml) of water.

Make rice if serving together.

Gather, prepare and line up your tarka ingredients. Traditionally, you will be adding everything in quick succession while frying, although I have (when constrained with time) put everything in at the same time, and it still turns out pretty tasty.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the onions until soft and slightly browned. Add the sliced garlic and stir while adding the red pepper flakes and ginger.

Once fragrant, push all the onion, garlic and ginger to the sides of the pan and add the fenugreek and cumin seeds to the middle of the pan to toast them, just for a few moments until fragrant.

Turn off the heat and immediately add the butter or coconut oil, garam masala, corinander and smoked paprika. Stir as the residual heat melts the butter and slightly fries the spices.

Once the lentils are cooked, stir in the lemon juice. When the tarka is ready, pour over the lentils and stir through. Allow the dal to sit, off the heat, for a few minutes to rest.

Garnish with a chiffonade of your choice. Enjoy!

This hearty soup is a must if you are traveling (and have access to a kitchen). With few ingredients and a low prep-time, lentil soup gives you the nutrition you need to keep up with those vacation activities. Lentils are a small but nutritionally-valuable member of the legume family. They are a great source of fiber which helps in managing metabolic disorders like diabetes.

Fiber can prevent blood sugar levels from rising after a meal, and has been known to lower bad cholesterol levels.

Lentils are an excellent source of molybdenum, folate, manganese, iron, protein, phosphorus, copper, thiamin and potassium; and they are low in calories with virtually no fat. A vegan superfood!

Makes 6-7 cups of soup. Enjoy with salad or bread.

2 cup red lentils
2 stalks celery (sliced)
2 large carrots (diced)
½ yellow onion (diced)
4 Shiitake mushrooms (sliced)
*Optional ½ cup red or white beans (soaked and cooked)
3 Tablespoons oil
6 cups veggie broth or water (or combination of both)
The juice from 1-2 lemons
2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
*Optional: curry, masala, Ras-El-Hanout, or lentil soup seasonings; cayenne pepper or paprika

Dice half of a yellow onion and slice the Shiitake mushrooms. Heat a deep pan and add oil when hot. Sauté onion and mushrooms until the onions are translucent.

Add sliced celery and heat until it is translucent as well.

Rinse and look for stones in two cups of red lentils. Add diced carrots and and red lentils to the pot. Heat for a few minutes.

Add the veggie broth or water (or a combination of both). Cook on high heat for about twenty minutes; then reduce the heat and simmer for over an hour or until the lentils have broken apart. Season while cooking.

After thirty minutes of simmering, add the soaked and cooked (or canned) red and white beans.Salt to taste as needed. Add the lemon at the very last moment and let the whole thing rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!