Vegan Dahl Soup

In a vegetarian restaurant situated right in the heart of San Francisco, I first had this classic Indian Dahl Soup years ago. Since then, I have made it many times in my own kitchen. Spicy, savory and hearty, this soup is the perfect one pot meal or for just a small serving as an appetizer. Best cooked for the whole day, but can be mad in about a half an hour. Great hot or you can even eat it cold! High in protein and fiber, Dahl Soup is delicious and nutritious – a perfect vegan soup!

Serves 6
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 2-3 Hours

You Will Need:

• 3 Cups Dried Split Red Lentils
• 1/4 Cup Barley
• 2 Carrots (Diced)
• 4 Stalks of Celery (Diced)
• 1 Onion (Diced)
• 3 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
• 1 Hot Red Pepper (Diced)
• 1 Hot Green Pepper (Diced)
• 3 Cups Vegetable Stock (Or 5 bullion/stock/broth cubes)
• 3 Cups Water
• 1 Tbs. Soy Sauce
• 1/2 Tsp. Yellow Curry Powder
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1/2 Tsp. Pepper
• Sea Salt to Taste

Directions

1. First step is the longest step. If you are going to cook this soup all day, it’s always best to soak the lentils and the barley for about an hour. It helps to release some of the starches and it softens them up for cooking. If you are going to do a quick cook, just wash the them in really hot water for about 2 minutes. Whichever way you are going to do it, do it. Then we proceed.



2. Put the lentils in the water and vegetable broth and start to bring them up to a boil. When a rolling boil is achieved, add the carrots and celery. Reserve the rest of the vegetables for later.



3. After about 10 minutes of good boil and stirring often, add the onion, peppers, garlic, bay leaves and soy sauce. Turn the heat down to a lower boil and continue to slow boil for 10 minutes more.
4. When the lentils turn yellow and begin to break down and thicken up, turn down to a medium low and add curry powder, pepper and salt. Also add more fluid as needed. When all the vegetables are cooked through, remove the bay leaves the soup is ready. It’s best to let cook for a few hours at a very low heat, but a half an hour is good enough if you’re really hungry and need vegan soup now! Enjoy!