Red lentil soup is perfect for weeknights or whenever you are in a hurry to get the meal on a table.It is my go-to meal , when I feel like my body needs a reset from a spate of indulgent eating or I want something hearty but healthy, this pared down lentil soup is the one I make most often and it never fails to please anyone at home.
Red lentil is very popular in every Assamese household, and you will find different way of cooking this red lentil such as dal, fritters and chutney, and it will be difficult to go to any Assamese meal without having any dal dish , specially you will find this dal often eaten with rice in every meal. They cook up quicker than any other variety of legumes, they are a lovely salmon pink colour in the package , their colour changes as they cook fading to a golden yellow hue as they melt into a soup , curry or stew .
Red lentil soup is naturally vegan until you use butter while cooking. The lentils themselves add the creaminess to the soup as there is no need for any additional milk, cheese or cream . Garnish it with your choice of herbs. Usually I love to garnish with fresh dill or coriander.
Ingredients you need are :
1 cup red lentil ( masoor dal )
2 tomatoes , chopped
1 onion
4- 5 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon fennel seeds powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
Olive oil
Dill / parsley / coriander for garnish
Method of cooking :
First wash the red lentil and put in pressure cooker with three cups of water and chopped tomatoes. cook until two whistles. Remove from gas .
In a pan, add olive oil and fry onion and garlic till you get light brown colour . Now add red lentil mixture and fennel seeds powder , cook for 2 to 3 minutes . Season with salt and pepper. Remove from gas and let it cool .
Now blend this mixture in a blender until you get smooth and creamy texture .
Garnish with choice of your herbs and drizzle some olive oil on top.
Enjoy with garlic bread.