INDIAN LENTIL DAL SOUP

Steps:

• The night before you want to make your dal, boil the lentils in water for 5 minutes and then discard the water. Soak the lentils overnight if you are using dried. Change the water once while soaking. When you are ready to use the lentils, discard the soak water. If you are using a pressure cooker to reconstitute the lentils, you can put them in the pressure cooker now. Otherwise, you can hang onto them and add them to the soup later. Chop the onion, carrots, and celery and add it to a saucepan over medium heat. Cover the saucepan and begin mincing the garlic. Then add the garlic to the saucepan. Occasionally, stir the veggies to distribute the heat and keep them from sticking to the pot. Once the onions are translucent, add the broth, water, beans, and spices. Cover the pot and simmer. If your beans are already cooked, you shouldn't have to cook the soup for long. If the lentils are soaked but uncooked, simmer the soup until the lentils are soft enough to eat. Last, add the soy sauce. Tips If you do not have lentils handy, you can use mung beans instead. You can add ginger or jalepenos to this soup if you wish. You can also add cilantro as a delicious garnish.