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Indian

Dal shorba

Vegetarian

A smooth, thin lentil soup flavoured with tomato, ginger and cumin, sieved silky and sharpened with lemon. Lighter than dal and meant to be sipped as a starter.

Dal shorba is an Indian soup, ready in about 40 minutes and made with red lentils and cumin. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
10 min
Cook
30 min
Total
40 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
139

Ingredients

4 servings

For the tempering

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Simmer the lentils, tomato (opens in a new tab), onion (opens in a new tab), carrot (opens in a new tab), ginger, garlic (opens in a new tab) and turmeric (opens in a new tab) in the water, partly covered, until the lentils are completely soft.

    A sauce simmering in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Nanda Mends on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Blend until smooth, then press through a sieve back into the pan for a silky texture.

    Food safety: Blend hot liquids in batches with the lid vented.

  3. Step 3

    Add the salt and bring back to a simmer, thinning with hot water to a pourable, soup-like consistency.

    • 3 min
    • medium-low heat

  4. Step 4

    Heat the butter (opens in a new tab), crackle the cumin (opens in a new tab), and pour over the soup. Stir in pepper (opens in a new tab) and lemon juice (opens in a new tab) and garnish with coriander.

    • 1 min
    • medium heat

About this dish

Origin
North India, India · Commonly attributedA restaurant and home starter; not tied to a single state.More food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Soups · Appetizers & starters
Cooking method
Simmered, Blended
Taste
earthy, savoury, tangy, mild
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat
With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Budget-friendly · Freezer-friendly · Child-friendly
Cook more with
Red lentils · Cumin · Tomato · Onion · Fresh ginger · Garlic
Techniques
Simmering · Wet grinding · Emulsification

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom butter

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

139 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 363 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 19%
  • Carbohydrate 58%
  • Fat 23%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy139 kcal38 kcal
Protein6.9 g1.9 g
Carbohydrate21 g5.8 g
Net carbohydrate17.3 g4.8 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre3.7 g1 g
Fat3.7 g1 g
Saturated fat2 g0.5 g
Trans fat0.1 g0 g
Cholesterol8 mg2 mg
Sodium763 mg210 mg
Salt equivalent1.9 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
314 mg
Calcium
60 mg
Iron
2.6 mg
Magnesium
31 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
38 µg
Vitamin C
9 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
60 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: carrot, coriander leaves.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Skim the foam off the lentils as they come to the boil for a cleaner flavour.

Common mistakes

  • Leaving it too thick — it should be noticeably thinner than an everyday dal.

Serve with

  • Serve in cups with a few crisp papads alongside.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen.

Reheating

  • It thickens as it cools; whisk in hot water while reheating.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in step 1

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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