[beachgal]

Chunky Red Dal Soup
From Cooking Light

This savory, Moroccan-spiced soup gets a flavor kick from harissa, a hot condiment made by preserving chiles in salt. Look for it in Middle Eastern markets, or substitute any chile paste. Pack the soup in a microwave-safe container with a whole wheat pita, a carton of yogurt, and a handful of dried fruit and nuts in a zip-top plastic bag. (From Laurie: I added about 3 cups of water to this just to make a bigger volume...I don't think it would really feed five if made as described here...)

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups water
1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed and drained
1 cup canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon harissa (I couldn't find this and used some Sambal Oelek...chinese/thai chili paste...)
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 6 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in ginger, paprika, salt, cumin, and pepper; cook 1 minute. Add 3 cups water, lentils, chickpeas, and tomatoes; bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice and harissa. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, if desired.

Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 224(8% from fat); FAT 2g (sat 0.3g,mono 1.1g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 12.9g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 54mg; SODIUM 496mg; FIBER 5.8g; IRON 2.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 38.9g