Green Chile “Dahl”

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So, I know that I told you I was planning to take you through my Christmas dinner today, but alas, all of the post drafts that I did during the website transition are lost :(. Sooooo, I’m reaching back and sharing a post of a soup I made before Christmas. Still veg-centric, still delicious!

But, before I get to the soup, I want to make (another) announcement … I have decided to give up dairy. Anyone who knows me, knows that this is a pretty big decision for me. Not because of milk, or yogurt, or eggs, or ice cream, but because of cheese. Ay vey, cheese! In the past month however, a slew of food documentaries and the book Eating Animals cast a grey cloud over dairy, in such a way that I have decided to give it up. Admittedly, this is going to be a really tough transition folks. When I stopped eating meat, I was totally fine, because I didn’t feel like I was missing anything. But cheese? Oh, I’m going to miss it. But my tummy (and my consciousness) won’t, so it’s worth the “sacrifice.” I look forward to getting your support through this next phase of my veg-centric journey!

And now, the soup! This is a New Mexican take on one of my favorite Indian soups, dahl. Super simple, super fragrant, super pretty. Enjoy! 😀

Green Chile “Dahl”

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1/2 yellow onion–diced

1/2 green pepper–diced

2 carrots–peeled and diced

2 celery ribs–diced

2 cloves garlic–minced

olive oil

salt

pepper

1 1/2 cups yellow lentils–dry

1 1/2 cups white wine

3 cups vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon tumeric

1 teaspoon ginger powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon -1 teaspoon hot green chile powder

garnish: smoked olive oil, lemon or orange juice, mint

Method:

*Prep veggies. Add 4 tablespoons olive to large stock pot. Add the bay leaf, tumeric, ginger powder, cumin, cinnamon and green chile powder. Cook over medium low heat for 1 minute, stirring. Add onion, pepper, carrots, and celery. Saute ~15 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft. Sprinkle with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Add garlic and cook for additional 2-3 minutes. Add rinsed, dry lentils, wine and broth. Stir. Simmer ~1- 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf. Continue cooking until lentils are completely tender. Let cool at least 10 minutes.

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*Add lentil mixture to large blender (or use hand blender) and blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning. Add more broth if looser  soup is desired. Serve warm with fresh herbs, drizzle of raw olive oil, and squeeze of citrus. Enjoy!

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Written by

Tiffany M. Griffin is the woman behind Como Water, Washington DC’s premiere veg-centric cuisine consulting company. Through cooking classes, demonstrations, catering, and consultations, Como Water gives people the opportunity to learn how to prepare veg-centric cuisine that boasts maximum flavor, with minimal effort. Tiffany is quickly becoming a go-to expert on the future of veg-centric cuisine, and is a regular contributor to Como Water, the blog, as well as to vegetarian and vegan sites across the Internet. For over a decade, this self-taught, entrepreneurial expert has developed a set of tried and true techniques for making simple, delicious, and sometimes decadent veg-centric dishes. Featured on the Steve Harvey Show and other leading media outlets, Tiffany was born and raised in Springfield, MA. She then earned Bachelors degrees in Psychology and Communications from Boston College and a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Michigan. She now resides in Washington DC, where she has worked in the US Senate and at a federal agency on issues around health, food, nutrition, and international food aid/development, and of course, as the owner of Como Water. Tiffany gets culinary inspiration from the food she grew up eating, and from her travels throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Western Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa. She is dedicated to sharing her wealth of knowledge on veg-centric cuisine with others and to help others live by her mantra—love life, live long, and eat veg-centric cuisine!

Comments

  1. your dahl looks soooooooo flavorful tiffany! i make a similar dahl but with no veggies and wine. but, i am gonna add veggies next time to make it more healthy 🙂

    ps: love the new blog updates!

  2. There’s nothing as comforting or warming as dal, as far as I’m concerned. Good luck with the cheese-free diet (I could never!) and a very happy new year to you. I love the new cook of the site as well!

  3. Love the new look! Congrats on your dairy-free commitement; you can totally do it. I never thought I would be able to make it as a vegetarian and here I am a year and a half later, plus I’m mostly vegan now; another milestone I never thought I would make. Anyone can make the change with the right attitude, so I know you will succede!
    I love that so many of your recipes would appeal to my New Mexico raised BF; he would love this, though would insist that we use fresh roasted green chiles, which I have an abundance of in the freezer 🙂

  4. Yum! What a hearty and healthy soup. Perfect for the winter months!