This spinach and yellow split pea soup (or spinach dal) is so full flavoured and satisfying, you wouldn’t know how incredibly healthy it is for you. It pairs extremely well with a roll, hunk of bread, or fruit salad on the side. Not only that, but it won’t take you more than 20 – 30 minutes to prepare, it one of our favourites s for getting an enjoyable, nutritious dinner on the table without requiring much in the way of planning.
Spinach combined with legume – yellow split peas provides complete nutrition and protein. Spinach is ranked as one of the world’s healthiest vegetable. It’s rich in vitamins (vitamin A, K & C) and minerals (Iron, magnesium, folate etc) and also a powerful anti-oxidant. It is best to eat spinach in raw form, (in salads & sandwiches) else if you are cooking spinach it has to be cooked for less than a minute to preserve its nutrition’s.
If you want to add a bit of creaminess to this yellow split peas recipe try adding 1/2 a can of coconut milk toward the end of cooking or as a garnish. If you want to brighten up the flavours try adding some lemon to the spinach dal.
We made this yellow split pea recipe last week …. and there were no leftovers because we ate it all in the first day. That definitely is the downside to a discovering such a delicious spinach dal. I blame it on the crispy shallots. These very lightly fried crispy shallots add an addicting crunch to the soup. I can eat this all day on any cold winter day.
We made this yellow split pea recipe last week …. and there were no leftovers because we ate it all in the first day. That definitely is the downside to a discovering such a delicious spinach dal. I blame it on the crispy shallots. These very lightly fried crispy shallots add an addicting crunch to the soup. I can eat this all day on any cold winter day.
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Yellow Split Pea & Spinach Soup |
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- 1 red oniondiced
- 4-5 green chiliesdiced
- 1 tomatodiced
- Few curry leavesroughly chopped
- 1tbsp minced garlic and ginger
- 1tsp of each mustard and cumin seeds
- Pinch of fenugreek seeds
- 1tsp cumin powder
- 2tsp coriander and curry powder
- 50g Yellow Split Peassoaked in water minimum for 1hour, washed and drained
- 1 vegetable soup cube
- 500ml water
- 400ml milk or 200ml coconut cream mixed with 200ml water
- 4tbsp low fat yoghurtoptional
- Pinch of turmeric powder
- 100g Spinach leavesroughly chopped
- Salt to taste
- 1tbsp lemon juice
- or the crispy shallots:
- 1 large shallotsliced thinly
- 3tablespoons of chickpea flour
- salt + pepper
- 3tablespoons of grapeseedor another high-heat oil
- You need to soak your yellow split peas prior to making this soup. If you have time soak them overnight otherwise allow at least an 1 hour is enough. More you soak it, easier and less time it takes to cook them.
- You need to soak your yellow split peas prior to making this soup. If you have time soak them overnight otherwise allow at least an 1 hour is enough. More you soak it, easier and less time it takes to cook them.
- Heat oil in a large pan, sauté onion, green chili, tomato and curry leaves for 2 minutes. Add garlic and ginger sauté till aromatic. Stir in mustard, fennel, fenugreek seeds and curry, cumin and coriander powder sauté for few more minutes.
- Add yellow split peas, soup cube, water, milk, yoghurt and turmeric powder, stir well, close the lid and cook for 20-30 minutes till split peas are soft.
- While the soup is cooking, make the shallots: On a plate, mix the flour with the salt and pepper. Then, add the shallots to the flour mixture and toss to coat the shallots with the flour. Line a small plate with paper towel and have it nearby. Then, in a small frying pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Test to make sure the oil is hot enough by adding a shallot and seeing if it sizzles. When the oil is ready, add all of the shallots. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, while shaking the pan to cook evenly (but do not disturb the shallots too much). Do this until they start to become brown (not too dark, because you don't want them to burn - this can happen quickly). Remove and set them on the plate with the paper towel.
- Turn off heat, add salt and spinach and stir well. Sprinkle lemon juice to your taste preference and serve in soup bowls. If want you can puree the soup, sometimes we take half out and blend one-half, this way you still have some texture
- Add the crispy shallots on top of your soup, add more coconut as dessired