Slow Cooker Red Lentil Dal Soup

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Indian

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 3

Total Time: 3 15

Servings: -6 bowls

Calories: 330kcal

Author: Jacq

Red Lentil Dal Soup prepared in the slow cooker is so easy, budget-friendly, and delicious. Fill your kitchen with the amazing aromas of beautifully spiced red split lentils gently bubbling away. Perfect for when you fancy the delicious flavours of a home-cooked curry but are short of time and just need the slow cooker to do all the work.

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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

small skillet or fry pan
cooking spatula
3.5 litre slow cooker [3.5-4 quart] [or use a larger slow cooker]
mixing spoon

Ingredients

1 tablespoon coconut oil [or your usual oil or cooking fat, or for a no-oil dal use ½ cup vegetable stock and add extra as required]
150 grams onion [1 large, diced]
1 tablespoon garlic paste [or 4-6 cloves fine diced, or 2 teaspoons garlic powder]
1 tablespoon ginger paste [or 1 tablespoon grated fresh or fine diced ginger, or 1 teaspoon dried ginger]
4 teaspoons curry powder [such as a Madras curry powder]
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
250 grams red split lentils [rinsed and drained]
280 grams carrots [about 2 medium, diced or grated]
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1.5 litres vegetable stock [hot]

At the end of cooking:

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

Heat the coconut oil over a medium heat, and cook the onions, garlic and ginger pastes for 5 minutes. Stir a few times.
[If preferred, or short on time, this step can be omitted and all the ingredients simply added to the slow cooker]
150 grams onion, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 tablespoon garlic paste, 1 tablespoon ginger paste
Add the curry powder and turmeric powder, stir and cook for 1 minute.
4 teaspoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
Scrape the pre-cooked onion mixture into the slow cooker, and add the rest of the ingredients.
250 grams red split lentils, 280 grams carrots, 1 bay leaf, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt
Give everything a good stir and pour in the hot vegetable stock.
1.5 litres vegetable stock
Set the slow cooker to the high setting and cook the soup for 3 hours.
Or for the medium setting about 4-5 hours.
Or the low setting for 6-7 hours.
[exact times will depend on your slow cooker and how thick you chop your carrots, tip: grated carrots will cook quicker]
Once cooked, remove the bay leaf, add more salt and pepper to taste, and stir through the lemon juice.
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Optional serving suggestion:

A few crushed peanuts and some fresh coriander [cilantro] is a nice garnish, and a tasty naan bread for dipping in the soup is usually welcomed by everyone!

Notes

We used a 3.5 litre slow cooker with a ceramic inner pot. As many slow cookers or crock pots may cook at different times do consult your slow cooker manual for guidance, or use your own personal experience with your particular slow cooker, for more guidance on cooking times.
Store leftover lentil dal soup for 3 days within a refrigerator.
Or freeze for 2-3 months.
Leftover soup can be reheated on the stove-top until piping hot, or within a microwave, or pour back into the slow cooker and switch to the high setting and leave until the soup is heated through.
For a gluten-free dal soup simply use a gluten-free vegetable stock and check the ingredients for your spices and curry powder to ensure that no gluten ingredients have been added.
To prepare on the stove-top, follow the recipe but add extra vegetable stock as and when necessary during cooking. The soup is ready when the carrots are soft, the lentils cooked and the soup nice and thick.
If preferred the sauteing can be omitted and the ingredients all added to the slow cooker. Its personal preference whether to also include the coconut oil.
For an oil-free soup, omit the coconut oil, and either saute the spices, onions, garlic, and ginger in about ½ cup [120mililitres] of vegetable stock or omit the sauteing.

Nutrition