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.
Servings 4 people
Calories 212.39kcal
Equipment
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