Rasam Lentil Soup

We love our soups here at vegan.io! And today, we have an easy and simple vegan soup recipe for you. Brought all the way from India, this Rasam Lentil Soup is bound to be a favourite of any household. We are using simple ingredients to create an overload of flavour here! 

I'm always on the hunt for a comforting and delicious lentil dish or lentil soup. If you've been following vegan.io for a while now, you know how we feel about lentils. These little legumes are packed with nutrition and flavour and are so incredibly versatile. 

So, I was very happy when I tried Rasam for the very first time and realised there were lentils in it! I immediately added it to my recipe book and couldn't wait to share it with you. Then, I learned about all the other nourishing and super healing ingredients in this vegan soup and I fell in love. 

Rasam is a traditional dish from Southern India. But depending on the region you visit, the texture and flavour are slightly different. The base is always the same, they use tamarind and other typical elements of Southern Indian cuisine such as black pepper, garlic, chilli, and turmeric. 

The tamarind is what makes the taste in this soup so special. But its healing properties are the reason it's so popular and such a staple in many households in that region. A lot of people recommend eating a hot steamy bowl of rasam to treat different health issues. Things like common colds, lack of appetite, headaches and issues due to fever and digestive issues. 

I love that this healing soup is so easy to make and that most of the cooking time is very hands-off. All you have to do is sauté onion and garlic with the spices for a couple of minutes. This will bring out and enhance the taste of all these ingredients. So make sure you don't skip this step!

You are pretty much done after this! The next step is to add the rest of the ingredients in the pot with the vegetable broth and let the heat do its magic. I like to leave it simmering for about 30-45 minutes. Everything will get nicely infused while the lentils soften and cook thoroughly. 

I couldn't believe how easy it is to make this lentil soup! Especially, since it has so much flavour and it leaves you with such a hearty feeling after eating it. I really thought it required a lot of work or time to cook but I am so happy I was wrong!

The soup is very light, so I always serve it alongside a few pieces of warm naan bread. Some people even go as far as serving it with rice and making it into the main dish. Whatever option you decide to go with, you will be making your soul and your belly really happy!