Indian lentil soup with cumin and onions

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 piece(s) ginger root, approx. 4 x 4 cm
• 4 tomatoes
• some oil
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp curry powder, sweet
• 350 g lentils, red
• 1 liter vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• e.g. sea salt
• 2 pinches of cayenne pepper
• 250 ml cream, alternatively soy or oat cream for vegans
• 2 medium-sized onions, cut into half rings
• Oil for frying
• 2 tsp cumin

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 35 minutes; Total time approx. 55 minutes

Dhal, vegetarian

For the soup, peel and finely grate the ginger. Dice the tomatoes. Heat a little oil in a large pot and briefly sauté the turmeric, cumin, curry, and ginger. Add the lentils and sauté briefly. Add the tomatoes and deglaze everything with the vegetable stock. Let the soup simmer for about 25-30 minutes over medium heat, until the lentils are soft. Puree everything with a hand blender and season with soy sauce, sea salt, and cayenne pepper, then add the cream. Bring the soup back to a boil. For the garnish, fry the onions in oil until golden brown and season with cumin. This is best done while the lentils are cooking softly. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the onions. Indian naan bread goes very well with it. The soup is very filling and, with bread as a side dish, makes a good main course. If you want to serve the soup as a starter, you should divide the amount into 6 – 8 portions, otherwise you won’t be able to finish the main course.