When the weather is unrelenting, I start craving soups such as this spiced tomato and lentil soup. It’s a richly flavoured dahl, with aromas that flood the kitchen. Tomatoes are such a good buy at the moment and fresh is best. That said, I have made this soup successfully in winter with good quality canned tomatoes as an alternative. Both options are budget friendly, especially if you have the spices in your cupboard already. This really is a great one for the wallet.
Dahl, like any stew or casserole, tastes better the next day when the flavours have had time to marry and develop. Just before reheating, add a little water and stir as the lentils will thicken the liquid. This will help loosen everything up. I often pick up hot flaky naan from our local Indian takeaways but wholemeal roti is a lovely addition as well.
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 2cm fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp five spice
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 1 chilli, sliced
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 kg ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 300ml coconut cream
- 1/3 cup red lentils
- Water to loosen
- Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
Heat the oil in a heavy based pan, and slowly fry the garlic, onion and ginger with the spices. Your kitchen will fill with beautiful aromas. Gently stir the spices around the pan for 5 minutes. Add the sugar, vinegar, chopped tomatoes and coconut cream. Simmer over a moderate heat for 30 minutes and then blitz together with a hand blender. Return to the heat and add the lentils. The lentils will absorb the liquid so simmer for 10 minutes, until they're cooked and the soup has thickened. If the consistency is not to your liking, loosen it a little with some water, until you've reached the consistency you desire.
