Moong dal soup is light, protein-rich, easy to digest, and makes a comforting meal. Moong dal + vegetables + lemon makes a particularly nutritious combination: the dal provides protein and fiber, vegetables add vitamins and protective plant compounds, and lemon provides vitamin C that can improve absorption of plant-based iron.

For a healthy, light dinner, you can make the soup with moong dal, spinach, carrot, ginger, cumin, turmeric and lemon, using just ½–1 teaspoon of ghee for tempering.

Ingredients

• ½ cup yellow moong dal, washed
• 2½–3 cups water
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ inch fresh ginger, grated
• 1 small tomato, chopped — optional
• 1 small carrot, chopped — optional
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon ghee or olive oil
• Fresh cilantro
• ½ lemon

Preparation

1. Wash the dal 2–3 times. You can soak it for 15–20 minutes, although soaking is optional.
2. Add dal, water, turmeric, ginger, tomato and carrot to a pressure cooker or pot.
3. Cook until the dal becomes very soft—about 10–15 minutes in a pressure cooker or 25–30 minutes in a regular pot.
4. Mash or blend the cooked dal until smooth. Add more warm water if you want a thinner soup.
5. Heat ghee in a small pan. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle.
6. Add the tempering to the soup, followed by black pepper and salt.
7. Simmer for another 2–3 minutes.
8. Turn off the heat and add fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lemon.

For a nourishing vegetable moong-dal soup

You can add spinach, bottle gourd (lauki), zucchini, carrots, or celery while cooking. This makes the soup more filling and increases the vegetable content.

For a light dinner: Keep the soup thin and use only a small amount of ghee. A bowl of warm moong dal soup with vegetables can be a satisfying, gentle meal.

Moong Dal Soup — Ingredients and Their Benefits

Here is the same moong dal soup, with the nutritional role of each ingredient explained.