Indian Chana Dal Spinach Soup

Disclosure: Some content includes links to sponsors or affiliates, which give me a small percentage of the sale without costing you anything extra. You are not obligated to use these links when you make a purchase, but when you do so, it helps to support this site, so thank you!

    One of the neat things about being a part of the Trim Healthy lower carb lifestyle is that we're able to try so many new recipes!

    Feel free to take a look at my Trim Healthy VISUAL SHOPPING LIST to get a better idea of some of the quicker food options available in your stores!

    We've been making Asian dishes in our home for quite a few years.  Chinese food + Japanese food + Indian food = YUM!

    But not all mixed together at the same time, in the same meal.  That would be rather odd!  Burp.

    I guess you'd say that we've used a number of different ingredients in our home over the years, too.  After all, I do have over 100 spices in my cupboard, all alphabetized!  ☺  But we'd never heard of chana dal and the soups that can be made with it.  YUM!

    Trim Healthy Mama recommends using chana dal, a legume that has some similarities to split peas.  They're both used for soups, but there's one huge difference between split pea soup and chana dal soup:  split pea soup actually causes a person's blood sugars to spike and crash, while chana dal is very gentle on a person's blood sugar levels, so it's much healthier.  Chana dal has the glycemic index of 8, which means its effect on raising blood sugar is so gentle that it is a great food for people with diabetes, pre-diabetes, or hypoglycemia.

    Healthy blood sugar levels = not packing the pounds onto our waistline.  Hooray!

    Our family likes split pea soup, although I admit that I don't make it very often. 

    We were excited to try the chana dal, especially since we ♥ Indian food!

     Look below for a FREE printable recipe page for Indian Chana Dal Soup!

    When I mentioned on Facebook one night last week that we had chana dal cooking in the crockpot, several of my friends said right away that they love chana dal and have used it for quite a while now - that it tastes much better than split peas.  That gave me confidence!

    From what I can tell, chana dal isn't available in my community.  I can either order it online or buy it in an out-of-town Asian market, so depending on where you live, you might have a bit of difficulty finding it.  Azure Standard {not an affiliate link} also sells chana dal, for those of you who enjoy purchasing food items on a monthly basis from that company.

~Low Carb Indian Chana Dal Spinach Soup~

3 cups dried chana dal = 8 cups cooked (serves 6-8)

    Before cooking the chana dal lentils, make sure to soak them overnight in a large bowl, pot, or other container.  First:  pick through the chana dal lentils to make sure any rocks or pebbles have been removed.  Add the dry chana dal lentils to the bowl and cover them with water.  Add 1/2 tsp. baking soda and stir gently.  Let sit overnight or for at least 5 hours.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups dry chana dal lentils
• 6 cups water or chicken broth
• 1 diced onion
• 2 stalks diced celery
• 2 tsp. sea salt, or more, to taste
  
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, or more to taste
• 2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos (optional)
• 1/4 tsp. curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 small bag frozen chopped spinach or several handfuls of fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup shredded skim mozzarella cheese or nonfat Greek yogurt
  

Directions:

1.  Rinse off soaking water from chana dal and drain.

2.  In a large 5-6 qt. crockpot, combine soaked chana dal with 6 cups chicken broth or water.  Add diced onions and celery to the crockpot. 

3.  Now for the seasoning!  Sprinkle into the crockpot your sea salt, pepper, onion powder, nutritional yeast, cayenne pepper (optional), Bragg Liquid Aminos or soy sauce (optional), curry powder, and turmeric powder.

4.  Cook on high on the crockpot for at least 8 hours.  If you notice the liquid levels getting low or the chana dal is sticking or burning, turn down the heat and add another cup of liquid. 

5.  You may eat this chunky, or blend with a stick blender for a smooth, creamy soup.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. 

6.  If you would like to add a bit more protein to this delicious soup, sprinkle each serving with a small amount of shredded mozzarella cheese or top with a dollop of nonfat Greek yogurt.  You may also stir in some chopped fresh or thawed spinach.

                                Chana dal soup = chana luv!

    Have you ever cooked with chana dal?  If so, what's your favorite chana dal recipe?

Here's the free printable recipe page for Indian Chana Dal soup:

   In the interest of full disclosure, some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive an affiliate commission. I only recommend products I use personally. Your purchases through these links help support Joy In Our Journey. I humbly thank you for your support.

---