Indian Lentil Soup

Indian Lentil Soup – a classic Indian Masoor Dal soup that is full of warm comforting spices, lentils and is great any night of the week!

This post is sponsored by The Arthritis Foundation. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

I am so excited to share this post and recipe with you today.  I am partnering with The Arthritis Foundation to support their #LetsGripArthritis campaign. It is a cause that is near and dear to my heart.  My mom has suffered from arthritis in her hands for years.  Most of the people on her side of the family suffer from it as well as my father-in-law and many others in my life. I am honored to bring more awareness to the disease and hopefully one day find a cure! 

Did you know that the leading cause of disability in the United States is arthritis?  If you answered no, don’t feel too bad, you are in the company of 93% of Americans who didn’t know this*.  There are 8 million working adults who say their ability to work is limited because of arthritis*.  It affects so many people, the statistics are staggering.

 

Let’s be honest, when you think of arthritis, you mostly think of it as an old person disease.  But that isn’t true at all!  About 66% of the people with arthritis are under age 65, and that includes 300,000 children who are diagnosed*.  So, it is time to bring awareness and try to end this disease! 

If you are one of those suffering, what can you do to help make it better?  Well, food is one thing.  Eating the proper diet, eliminating a lot of sugar, and following an anti-inflammatory diet can help, which is why this Indian Lentil Soup is the perfect recipe. It is full of a lot of the spices that are known for helping reduce inflammation: ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, and turmeric.

My mom loves to cook and get in the kitchen, but when the use of your hands is limited, it can be hard.  These Cooking Tips can help get you back in the kitchen and cooking healthy. 

My family loves Indian food; it is one of my favorites to make at home. Chicken Tikka Masala is one of our all-time favorites and it’s also made with a lot of these same spices. If you have ever been to an Indian restaurant, you have probably seen Masoor Dal on the menu. It is an Indian spiced lentil soup. This is my homemade version that is really easy to make. The ingredient list looks long, but that is just all the spices that are good for inflammation and give it that warm and cozy feeling!

Lentil Soup Ingredients

• Onion
• Garlic
• Red Lentils
• Ginger
• Tomatoes
• Spices (cumin seeds, mustard seeds, garam masala, cayenne, curry powder, ground cumin, turmeric, chili powder, ground coriander
• Vegetable Oil (or other neutral flavored oil)
• Water

How To Make Indian Lentil Soup

1. Start by heating the oil in a heavy pot. Add onions and cook for 4-5 minutes until they start to soften. Then you add in the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes, just until you can start to smell it.
2. Next you add in the lentils, water, tomatoes and salt. Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for about 40-45 minutes. You want the lentils to be soft and start to break down. You can use a potato masher or a stick blender if you want your soup smoother.
3. In a separate small skillet you are going to toast the cumin and mustard seeds in a little bit of oil.
4. Once they are just lightly toasted you mix in the rest of the spices and let them cook for about 30 seconds. This helps bring out more of the flavor.
5. Add all the spices to the lentils and stir until everything is well combined.
6. Taste and season with additional salt if necessary. If your soup is too thick you can add more water if needed.

We like this soup served with Homemade Naan Bread to dip in it.

I had the chance to try out these arthritic gloves that were provided by The Arthritis Foundation. They mimic what it is like to actually have arthritis. It was insane to put them on and see how my movement was limited and how hard it was to do things. Chopping onions and the basic things I take for granted each day, my mom and others with arthritis struggle with every day. 

Now, I understand why simple things like grinding salt have been challenging or impossible for my mom to do. I shared these gloves with my family over the holidays, and we all have a newfound understanding of what my mom goes through every day.

Every day The Arthritis Foundation is working toward a cure.  What can you do to help? Donate or get involved locally. Since 1948, the Arthritis Foundation has donated more than $500M in science and research to help find a cure for the more than 100 different types of arthritis and related diseases. Every year my son runs in the Arthritis Foundation’s Jingle Bell Run in our town, which supports the Arthritis Foundation and is a small and fun way that we can help support the more than 54 million Americans with arthritis.

Join The Arthritis Foundation and me by visiting www.arthritis.org/LetsGripArthritisto learn how you can join the #LetsGripArthritis movement, donate and learn more about arthritis.

More Comforting Soup Recipes

• Cabbage Roll Soup
• Creamy Wild Rice Soup
• Egg Drop Soup
• Carrot Ginger Soup
• Wonton Soup
• Creamy Tomato Soup

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Yield: 4

Indian Lentil Soup

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Indian Lentil Soup - a classic Indian Masoor Dal soup that is full of warm comforting spices, lentils and is great any night of the week!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 Tbls vegetable oil, divided
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbls fresh ginger, grated
• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 3 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 Tbls garam masala
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp chili powder

Instructions

1. In a heavy pot head 2 Tbls oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 4-5 minutes until they start to soften. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
2. Add lentils, water, tomatoes and salt to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 40-45 minutes until the lentils start to break down. You can use a potato masher or a stick blender if you want your soup smoother.
3. In a small skillet heat remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds and cook for a couple minutes until they start to toast. Stir in remaining seasonings and cook for about 30 seconds. Add to the lentil mixture and stir well to combine.
4. Taste and season with additional salt if necessary. If your soup is too thick you can add more water if needed.
5. Serve with warm naan bread.

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Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 198Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 0mgSodium 776mgCarbohydrates 20gFiber 7gSugar 5gProtein 6g

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.

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*According to a recent Harris Poll survey commissioned by The Arthritis Foundation

You can always keep up to date with what is going on by following the Arthritis Foundation on:

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This post is sponsored by the Arthritis Foundation. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

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Erin S

Welcome to Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and I’m a casual home cook who loves to feed people. On this blog, you’ll find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with family and friends.

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