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    Home » Soups & Lentils » Vegan Lentil Soup | Indian Dal Shorba

    Published: Oct 16, 2020 · Modified: Jan 7, 2021 by Priya * This post may contain affiliate links.

    Vegan Lentil Soup | Indian Dal Shorba

    Recipe Print
    3 bowls of Vegan Lentil Soup | Indian Dal Shorba with spoons in them and text at the top
    a hand holding a spoon and digging into a bowl of Vegan Lentil Soup | Indian Dal Shorba and text at the top
    two bowl of Vegan Lentil Soup | Indian Dal Shorba and text at the top

    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.

    3 bowls of Vegan Lentil Soup | Indian Dal Shorba with spoons in them

    Great way to add lentils to your diet

    Table of Contents

    • What is Shorba
    • Trending now
    • My first Shorba
    • Indians love Dal
    • Why make this
    • Ingredients needed
    • Here's how to make it
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Top tips, recommendations, and suggestions
    • Snacks with lentils
    • Indian Dal Shorba | Vegan Lentil Soup

    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.

    Trending now

     

    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. 

    My first Shorba

    During my college days, I had gone for dinner with friends to a local restaurant. The guy I crushed upon was also there. 

    After browsing the menu a couple of my friends (including him) ordered Shorba. I had no idea what Shorba was but didn't want to show him I didn't know.

    So when he asked me if I too was okay ordering Shorba, I just nodded. As an adult, now I know there is nothing wrong with not knowing something. It's OK to accept that. 

    However, as a child, I didn't want to make a fool of myself in front of my friends. Trust me, I was so tense until the order came out because I had no idea what to expect.

    My fervent prayers that Shorba should be something good were answered. It turned out to be soup! Phew! 

    Now when I look back on that day, I find it so silly and laugh it off but back then it was really a big deal. 

    one wooden bowl filled with Vegan Lentil Soup | Indian Dal Shorba and a wooden spoon in it

    Healthy and tasty

    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. 

    • Moong Sprouts Dal Fry
    • Malvani Tikhat Dal
    • Carrot Dal
    • Instant Pot Dal Tadka
    • Shahjahani Dal
    • Fenugreek Lentil Stew
    • Sultani Dal
    • Kokum Amti Dal

    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

    all the ingredients needed to make Vegan Lentil Soup | Indian Dal Shorba placed in a tray with labels on them

    List of 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. 

    Here's how to make it

    9 image collage showing the steps to make Vegan Lentil Soup | Indian Dal Shorba

    easy to make recipe

    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.
    a hand holding a spoon and digging into a bowl of Vegan Lentil Soup | Indian Dal Shorba

    Warms you up instantly

    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, this toor dal soup recipe will tickle your taste buds and you will relish it!

    Top tips, recommendations, and suggestions

    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
    two bowl of Vegan Lentil Soup | Indian Dal Shorba

    A comforting bowl of soup

    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!

    You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious vegetarian and vegan recipes and what I’m getting up to.

    one wooden bowl filled with Vegan Lentil Soup | Indian Dal Shorba and a wooden spoon in it

    Indian Dal Shorba | Vegan Lentil 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.
    4.64 from 11 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: accompaniment, Appetizer, Main Course, Soup
    Cuisine: Asian, Indian, Mughlai, Persian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Soaking time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 212.39kcal
    Author: Priya Lakshminarayan

    Equipment

    Instant Pot

    Ingredients 

    • 1 cup Toor Dal
    • ½ tablespoon Cooking oil
    • 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
    • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
    • ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida
    • 3-4 Green chilies
    • 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
    • 1-2 Tomatoes
    • 1 Carrot chopped
    • 1 cup Greens Like spinach, kale, beet leaves
    • 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
    • 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
    • ½ teaspoon Paprika
    • 2-3 cups water or vegetable stock
    • Salt
    • 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
    • 3 tablespoon Cilantro chopped
    • 2 tablespoon Hemp seeds optional

    Instructions

    Instant Pot Version

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

    Stovetop Version

    • Boil Tur Dal(Split Pigeon Peas), any greens and tomatoes in water to which salt and turmeric have been added.
    • You can cook them in the pressure cooker or Instant pot.
    • Once the dal is cooked, prepare the Tadka (Tempering).
    • Heat oil in a Tadka pan.
    • Once its hot, add mustard seeds and once they begin to crackle, add cumin seeds.
    • Fry for 10 seconds and then add grated ginger, minced garlic, and green chilies.
    • Fry all of this for 30 seconds. Next, add chopped cilantro and fry it for another 15-20 seconds.
    • 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.

    Notes

    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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 212.39kcal | Carbohydrates: 29.84g | Protein: 11.81g | Fat: 6.04g | Saturated Fat: 0.52g | Sodium: 166.63mg | Potassium: 171.09mg | Fiber: 8.54g | Sugar: 3.88g | Vitamin A: 3118.11IU | Vitamin C: 12.94mg | Calcium: 54.81mg | Iron: 3.4mg
    Tried this Recipe? Share your creation by tagging me on Instagram @Cookilicious using #cookiliciousveg!
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    Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. For more information on my Affiliate and Advertising Policy, please click here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amanda Wren-Grimwood says

      January 22, 2021 at 7:02 am

      5 stars
      I love lentil soup so it's great how this can be made in a fraction of the time! Thanks.

      Reply
      • Priya says

        January 22, 2021 at 10:01 am

        Absolutely! So convenient and tasty!

        Reply
    2. Natalie says

      January 22, 2021 at 5:52 am

      5 stars
      This soup sounds so delicious. Full of flavors and so healthy. I will def make this one. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

      Reply
      • Priya says

        January 22, 2021 at 10:02 am

        Thank you. Glad you like it

        Reply
    3. Kushigalu says

      January 22, 2021 at 4:22 am

      5 stars
      Love dal. This soup looks so creamy and delicious. Must try.

      Reply
      • Priya says

        January 22, 2021 at 10:02 am

        Thank you. I love dal too. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Dannii says

      January 22, 2021 at 3:50 am

      5 stars
      We love lentil soup. So creamy and comforting.

      Reply
      • Priya says

        January 22, 2021 at 10:02 am

        Yes, perfect for any weather.

        Reply
    5. Beth says

      January 22, 2021 at 12:44 am

      5 stars
      As always such a delicious recipe! Can’t wait to make this again!

      Reply
      • Priya says

        January 22, 2021 at 1:27 am

        Thank you so much

        Reply
    6. Emily Liao says

      October 19, 2020 at 6:06 pm

      5 stars
      Was just looking for new lentil recipes! This was so flavorful and delicious 🙂

      Reply
      • Priya says

        October 19, 2020 at 7:58 pm

        Thank you

        Reply
    7. Katie says

      October 19, 2020 at 5:30 pm

      5 stars
      Looks delicious! Can't wait to try this one!

      Reply
      • Priya says

        October 19, 2020 at 7:58 pm

        Thank you

        Reply
    8. Beth says

      October 19, 2020 at 5:10 pm

      5 stars
      I made this recipe over the weekend and my husband love this recipe! I can't wait to make this again!

      Reply
      • Priya says

        October 19, 2020 at 7:57 pm

        So happy to hear that! Thank you

        Reply
    9. Sisley White says

      October 19, 2020 at 4:33 pm

      5 stars
      This was so delicious. The whole family loved it. I can't wait to make it again. It tasted great the day after too.

      Reply
      • Priya says

        October 19, 2020 at 7:57 pm

        Glad you all enjoyed it. thank you

        Reply
    10. Dannii says

      January 19, 2019 at 3:18 am

      What a beautiful colour soup. Lentil soup is just so comforting.

      Reply
    11. Annissa Slusher says

      January 18, 2019 at 10:08 pm

      OMG, my mouth is watering just from looking at the pictures! I love the combination of flavors and the contrasting textures you use. Just gorgeous!

      Reply
    12. Ilona's Passion says

      January 18, 2019 at 5:52 pm

      Such a yummy comforting soup for winter! I want to make it:)

      Reply
    13. emilykrill says

      January 18, 2019 at 4:58 pm

      This might be a stupid question, but what does 6-7 whistles mean? Is that 6-7 minutes?

      Reply
      • Priya says

        January 18, 2019 at 6:30 pm

        Sorry if not clear..if you pressure cooking the lentils, you need to give it 6-7 whistles..hope its clear now.

        Reply

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