Moong Dal ka Shorba | Yellow Mung Dal Soup with Garlic Basil Croutons

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“Good soup is one of the prime ingredients of good living.  For soup can do more to lift the spirits and stimulate the appetite than any other one dish.” ~ Louis P. De Gouy, ‘The Soup Book’ (1949)

Moong Dal ka Shorba (Yellow Mung Dal Soup), drizzled with olive oil & topped with garlic-basil croutons

Growing up, my mother never considered "soup" as a real meal, never did she make some at home. And ironically every time we are out for dinner, we always ordered  "tomato soup" as our first course. I never tasted any other kind. 

Moong Dal ka Shorba (Yellow Mung Dal Soup) topped with puffed bajra & red chilli flakes

..things have changed a lot since then. Now, for me personally soup is a beautiful thing, especially during rainy & winter seasons. I make it a meal-in-itself by adding bread on the side or just some papads would do too. 

Certain ingredients like lentils give soup a body and a silky texture which appeals to me the most. There is no need to add any kind of dairy products like cream or milk and by replacing the little butter used in the recipe with (olive) oil, this is a lovely vegan alternative when paired with a sandwich.

The croutons are a great way to make use of day-old left over bread lurking around in the kitchen. I have used dried basil for my croutons, but any kind of herb like rosemary, thyme, sage - fresh or dried will totally work. Enjoy!

Moong Dal Shorba (Yellow Mung Dal Soup)

Adapted from NDTV Cooks

Ingredients:

1/2 cup split moong dal
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tsp chopped ginger
1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp butter
1 green chilli, chopped
coriander leaves, chopped
1/8 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Mix moong dal, onion, ginger, green chilies, turmeric powder, salt and 5 cups of water. Pressure cook for about 5-6 whistles. the dal has to be soft and mushy. Remove scum from the top, if there is any.

2. Blend the dal mixture and strain. Keep aside.

3. Heat butter in a pan, add cumin seeds. Sauté till seeds splutter. Add pureed dal and bring it to a boil. Adjust consistency by adding water if desired.

4. Turn off the heat and add lemon juice and coriander leaves. Drizzle some olive oil and/or top with croutons. Serve.

Oven baked Garlic-Basil Croutons

Ingredients:

4 slices of bread, cut into cubes (preferably day-old)
4 tbsp cup olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
1 tsp dried basil, crushed between palms

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven for 350 F or 180 C.

2. In a mixing bowl stir olive oil, garlic, cracked pepper and dried basil. Toss bread cubes so that the olive oil mixture is evenly coated.

3. Spread the bread slices evenly in one layer on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp & dry. Keep an eye on them to prevent burning.

“To feel safe and warm on a cold wet night, all you really need is soup.” ~ Laurie Colwin

Have a great week ahead and until next time,

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