Lentil Soup with Brown Rice and Raita
Lentil soup has always been one of my go-to comfort meals. It’s hearty, satisfying, and packed with flavor. This version, paired with brown rice and a refreshing cucumber-tomato raita, is not just delicious but also a powerhouse of nutrition.
Servings: 1
Ingredients
Lentil Soup
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup red lentils
- 3.5 cups water
- 1/4 - 1/2 red onion
- 1 large roma tomato
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- pinch of hing
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp amchur powder
Raita
- 3/4 cup low fat Greek yogurt
- 1/4 English cucumber
- 1/2 roma tomato
- Black salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp raita masala or to taste
- big splash of water (a few tablespoons)
Other
- 1/4 cup brown rice
Garnish
- cilantro
- fresh squeeze of lemon
Instructions
- Cook the brown rice: Rinse the rice and cook the rice in about 1.5 cups of water until tender, in a rice cooker.
- Prepare the lentils: Rinse the lentils thoroughly. Combine them with water, onion, tomato, turmeric, hing, chili powder, coriander, garlic powder, and salt in your instapot. Turn the settings of your instapot to pressure cooker on high for 10-12 minutes. (Or, just use a regular pressure cooker).
- Make the raita: In a bowl, mix yogurt with chopped cucumber, chopped tomatoes, raita masala, black salt, and pepper. Add a splash of water to adjust the consistency. Chill until serving.
- Assemble and serve: Serve the lentil soup with a side of brown rice and the chilled raita. Garnish with cilantro or a squeeze of lemon if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to use an old school pressure cooker instead of an instapot! Or, simply boil your lentils in a pot covered with a lid on your stove top. But, keep in mind that boiling on a stove top will take much longer - probably closer to 30 minutes or more for the lentils to soften.
- This is a very basic lentil soup! If you want more richness or spice, you can adjust the spice quantities to your liking. For example, I think you could double the kashmiri chili powder, garlic, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, and mango powder for a bigger kick!
- Fresh garlic, fresh ginger, and jalapeno could be great additions to this recipe as well.
- You could serve with achaar or green chilies soaked in vinegar for more spice.
