Tomato Mung Bean Soup

KRI November 2019 Recipe of the Month

Taken from From Vegetables, With Love: Recipes and Tales from a Yogi’s Kitchen
(Revised and Expanded New Edition) by Siri-Ved Kaur Khalsa

Tomato Mung Bean Soup

This deliciously spiced soup could also be served as a thin daal. Full of hearty flavor, it is both nourishing and satisfying. For a little variation, add diced, peeled potatoes and/or chopped spinach.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients for Tomato Mung Bean Soup:

• 2 quarts water
• 2 cups mung beans
• ½ cup ghee or oil
• 1 rounded teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red chilies
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon kala jeera (black cumin) or regular cumin seeds
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)

Instructions to make Tomato Mung Bean Soup:

Bring water to a boil in a soup pot and add mung beans. Cook for about 45 minutes, until very well done. Meanwhile, heat ¼ cup ghee in a skillet. Add turmeric, red chilies, pepper, and kala jeera or cumin seeds and heat so they sizzle for 10–15 seconds. Add onions, ginger, and garlic and sauté until lightly browned and very well done (about 10 minutes). Add chopped, peeled tomatoes and cook another 10 minutes, until they are dissolved into a rich sauce that begins to pull away from the edge of the pan. Purée cooked mung beans with either a food processor or blender and return to the pot. Add onion-spice mixture, remaining ghee, and salt. (If adding other vegetables, add them at this time.) Simmer for 30 minutes. Garnish with cilantro or stir in just before serving.