Tomato Soup with Lentils

By ahree

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1/4 tsp cumin, freshly ground
• 2 small dried chiles, freshly ground
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 garlic clove, finely diced
• 50 g red lentils
• 400 g canned tomatoes, including juice
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• salt
• 1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds
• fresh cilantro, chopped
• serve with sour cream and bread to taste

Details

Adapted from deliciousdays.com

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the ghee in a large pot (medium heat), then add the ground cumin, chiles, garam masala as well as the minced garlic and sauté shortly while stirring.

Add the lentils, the canned, slightly mashed tomatoes (I discarded their stems beforehand) including the juice and the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, season with sugar, turmeric and salt, then let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes – a chatty friend on the other end of the telephone line won’t ruin your dinner, no worries.

If you prefer your soup smooth and silky, this is the time to turn to your [handheld] blender for some assistance – I prefer this one chunky, so no blender for me. In a small pan, roast the brown mustard seeds until they start to crackle and jump around, then add them to the soup. Adjust the soup’s seasoning to your liking and fill in bowls. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve with sour cream and bread.