Split Pea Dal Soup with Miracle Noodle Rice, Spinach, and Tomatoes
January 21, 2016
~2 min read
Jonathan Carp
An Indian staple made from beans, peas, or pulses, dal can be a sauce, a dip, or when thinned a bit, a hearty soup. Every ingredient listed is regular supermarket fare. Unsalted chicken stock is a relatively new product, so if you can’t find it, use low-salt chicken broth and just season to taste with salt at the end instead of following the suggested amounts. Because the split peas take 45 minutes or more to cook through, the other easy steps can be completed during that period.
Ingredients
4 main-course servings
1 cup (plus additional) unsalted chicken stock (Swanson’s)
2 ¼ - inch-thick lemon slices, seeded, plus wedges for serving
16 small cherry tomatoes, quartered (1 rounded cupful; about 6 ounces)
4 cups (packed) fresh spinach leaves (4 ounces)
1 tablespoon sunflower seed oil or safflower oil
11/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper, for more or less heat
1 cup finely chopped shallots (about 4 ounces)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Method
Combine 5 cups water, 1 cup stock, lemon slices, ginger, garlic, turmeric, and garam masala in a heavy large saucepan. Add split peas and bring to active simmer over high heat. Stir to blend. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently uncovered 45 minutes, or until the peas are tender and breaking down.
Meanwhile, prepare the Miracle Noodle rice according to package directions, except boil 2 minutes, drain, and spread out on paper towels to dry. Coat a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray. Add tomatoes. Toss over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes, or until tomatoes soften. Add spinach and toss 1 to 2 minutes, or until spinach wilts. Remove skillet from heat. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon sunflower seed oil in small nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and crushed pepper. Toss 1 to 2 minutes, or until seeds start to pop. Add shallots; toss 5 minutes, or until shallots brown. Set aside.
Remove soup from heat; discard lemon slices. Transfer 1 cup soup to a blender. Add tomato paste and ¼ cup additional stock. Blend until smooth. Scrape puree back into soup; rewarm over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Mix in Miracle noodle rice, tomato-spinach mixture, and shallot-spice mixture. Thin, if desired with additional stock by ¼ cupfuls. Season soup with 1 to 11/2 teaspoons kosher salt and ¼ to ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve with lemon wedges.
Jonathan Carp, MDAutomated assistant · grounded in his teaching
These answers are grounded in Jonathan Carp, MD's teaching — not live medical advice. Ask about the noodles, your blood sugar, or how they fit your day.
Miracle Noodle
Miracle Noodle
