Daal and Tomato Soup
November 10, 2005
Lentejas are a gift from the bean gods. Lentils come in green, brownish green, red, yellow, and are split or whole. This strange legume is quite tasty despite its garish reputation. Daal is a red lentil that is hulled and split. It has a beautiful coral color and cooks in a heartbeat. Daal is great for soups, but not cold or as a substitute for rice because it is a little mushy. I created this random soup out of a sheer desire to eat everything in the pantry before going to the grocery store again. Lentils provide good nutrients, especially if you are out of veggies and want something healthy to eat. I recommend serving this soup over brown or long grain white rice.
You will need:
- 1 pot for the daal, another for the rice.
- Gather 2 tsp fresh or powdered ginger, cumin, coriander,
- 1/2 small diced white onion,
- 2 cloves minced garlic,
- handful of chopped cilantro (optional, can sub with italian parsley),
- 2 c vegetable stock, 1 1/2 c water
- 2 tomatoes (overripe and near rotting are best for this soup as it all gets mushed up in the end),
- 1 lemon to finish it off.
Step One: Add 1 1/2 cups of daal (pick through it and rinse it first of course - like any other bean, it comes from the dirt) to your pot. Throw in vegetable stock, water, tomatoes (give 'em a rough chop), white onion, cloves of garlic, ginger, corriander and cumin, 2 sprigs of cilantro (optional). Cover with a lid and cook on medium high until lentils are soft (about 20 minutes). Add liquid if need be.
Step Two: Pull out the blender and pour everything in it from the pan. Add water or veggie stock if necessary. Blend until smooth. You can optionally add a spot of whipping cream if you want to alter the color a bit (about 1/4 cup worth).
Step Three: Return the daal to the pot and add 2 tblsp of olive oil or vegetable oil. Like other beans, these too need to be guisao (so you don't kill everyone with your foul smell). Cook for another 5-10 minutes. The consistency should be that of a smooth puree - more liquefied than baby food.
Step Four: Chop up some italian parsley or cilantro. Pour the soup into bowls by themselves or serve over rice (this is best if it will be your only course for dinner - be sure to start the rice first though - you know the drill by now). Sprinkle your fresh chopped herb on top and squeeze a bit of fresh lemon into each bowl. Oh so yummy.
