Instant Pot Lentil Soup (Vegan) | Indian Dal Soup

Dal Shorba is an Indian vegan soup recipe. This Instant Pot vegetarian lentil/dal soup is a toor dal recipe that's healthy and comforting. It takes just 10 minutes to cook and instantly warms you up on a chilly day.

What is Shorba

Hearing the word Shorba for the first time? What does Shorba mean? It comes from the Arabic word Shurbah meaning soup.

Traditionally, Shorba is part of the Mughlai cuisine. But now you can easily call it a Punjabi or North Indian recipe as it has found a permanent place here.

I call Shorba an Indian soup recipe because of the aromatic curry spices used to make it that give it its power-packed flavors.

Believed to have originated in Persia, Shorba is traditionally prepared by simmering meat in boiling water along with salt.

It's then flavored with aromatic curry spices and herbs! Over the years, many vegetarian variants of Shorba have become popular.

Vegetarians prepare a variety of Shorba recipes like Palak(Spinach), Lentil, Corn, Tomato Shorba, etc. The consistency of Shorba varies depending upon one's taste and cooking style.

Some like it thicker (stew-like consistency) and some like it thinner (soup-like consistency). It can be served as a main course or as a starter. 

Indians love Dal

Dal is the Indian name for dried, split pulses. Incidentally, the Indian lentil stew is also called the Dal. How original! Our meals are incomplete without some kind of lentils in them. Most of the time it's in the form of lentil stew.

Indian cuisine boasts of a variety of Dal recipes and here are some of my favorites for you to try. I love to enjoy dal like a soup which is why I very often make this toor dal soup recipe. 

Why make this

This delicious creamy vegan lentil soup is extremely flavorful and comforting. Here are more reasons to make it:

• Lentils are considered to be great meat substitutes.
• People with a weak stomach can have it comfortably as it is easy to digest.
• This mildly flavored soup is prepared with simple ingredients.
• Loaded with protein and is made with very little oil. 
• Quick, easy, and low-calorie nutritious lentil soup.
• Very comforting in winters and packed with proteins.

Ingredients needed

Today's Shorba is a tur dal/yellow lentils recipe. You can also call it an Indian soup recipe. 

Lentils - This is a toor dal/yellow lentils recipe. But you can use any lentils like moong dal, masoor dal, green lentils, etc.

Toor dal/yellow lentils/split pigeon peas come plain or oiled and need soaking because they have a hard shell.

Just be wary of the cooking time if using an Instant Pot. You may or may not soak them prior to cooking.

Veggies like tomatoes, carrots, and any greens (spinach, beet leaves, kale, etc) make this vegan lentil soup even more nourishing. 

Spices - Turmeric, asafoetida, coriander powder, cumin seeds, and powder, paprika, mustard seeds help aromatically season the soup.

Toppings - Here you can get creative and add whatever you like. I have added Crispy Chickpeas and hemp seeds.

Apart from these ingredients, you will also need an Instant pot or pressure cooker to make this vegetarian soup. 

How to make it

I am sharing both the versions to make this Indian dal soup recipe, for your convenience. 

Instant Pot Version

Here's how to cook lentils in the Instant Pot. 

1. Wash toor dal under running water. Then soak for 15 minutes. 
2. Turn on the Instant Pot in saute mode. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
   • Once they crackle, add minced green chilies, asafoetida, and turmeric. Fry for another 15 seconds.
3. Add chopped tomatoes and carrots to the pot. Saute for 2- seconds.
4. Then add the greens. Continue to saute for 10 seconds.
5. Now add the other spice blends like coriander powder, cumin powder, and paprika. 
6. Strain the water and add the soaked dal to the pot. 
7. Mix and then add 2-3 cups of water along with salt. Give it a good mix. 
8. Turn off the Instant Pot. Select manual mode and cook for 8 minutes. Put the vent to the sealing position and release pressure naturally.
9. This is optional - Using a hand blender, make a smooth puree. Vegan lentil soup is ready! 

Stovetop Version

Follow these steps to cook this toor dal recipe on the stovetop.

1. Boil Tur Dal(Split Pigeon Peas), any greens and tomatoes in water to which salt and turmeric have been added.
2. You can cook them in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot.
3. Once the dal is cooked, prepare the Tadka (Tempering).
4. Heat ghee (if vegan then you can use any other cooking oil) in a Tadka pan.
5. Once its hot, add mustard seeds and once they begin to crackle, add cumin seeds.
6. Fry for 10 seconds and then add grated ginger, minced garlic, and green chilies.
7. Fry all of this for 30 seconds. Next, add chopped cilantro and fry it for another 15-20 seconds.
8. Tempering for your Shorba is now done. Now you have two options here.
   • You can mash the cooked Dal using a hand blender and then pour the Tadka over it.
   • Or if you prefer a smooth homogeneous texture, you can mash the Tadka along with the Dal.

Serving Suggestions

Add a bit of lime juice for tang and ladle into bowls. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy this Indian Dal Shorba/Vegan Lentil Soup warm with some croutons or Parmesan Chips.

Or you can top it with some Crispy Chickpeas and hemp seeds. You can also pour some over steamed rice/quinoa/cauliflower rice and enjoy it as a meal. 

You can serve this Instant Pot vegetarian soup along with an appetizer like Baked Cheese Stuffed Bread Rings or Cheesy Rice Kebabs.

Serve this as a soup or as a side for rice or flatbread, this toor dal soup recipe will tickle your taste buds and you will relish it!

Top recipe tips

This vegan lentil soup can be prepared using any lentil variety. You can also mix multiple varieties of lentils!

As a rule of thumb, use the same measuring cup to measure dal and water. Soaking lentils reduces the chance of flatulence.

Adjust the consistency of the soup to your desired preference. If not vegan, do the tempering in ghee. It elevates the taste instantly!

Add some coconut milk or cream to the Indian lentil soup in the end to enhance the flavor. Give a tadka of ginger, garlic, and onions to make the recipe even more flavorful.

Do not puree in the end if you prefer more texture or bite in your soup. 

Different herbs like basil, rosemary, thyme, mint, etc, can be added to this Instant Pot vegetarian soup to give it a different seasoning.

Here's an amazing breakfast/snack recipe that can be made with leftover shorba or dal - Vegan Lentil Crepes Using Leftover Dal.

You can prepare this soup in advance and refrigerate it for 3-4 days. It also freezes well. 

Snacks with lentils

• Spicy & Steamed Vegan Lentil Balls
• Kale Adai | Kale & Lentil Savory Pancakes
• Lentil & Rice Noodles | Paruppu Sevai
• South Indian Medu Wada | Lentil Fritters
• Moong Dal Spinach Chilla | Lentils & Spinach Crepes

If you’ve tried this Indian Dal Shorba | Lentil Soup Recipe or any other recipe on the blog please let me know how it went by commenting below, I love hearing from you!

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