Recipes Black Lentil Soup 5.0 (1,922) 7 Reviews This earthy lentil soup is Rajat Parr's take on dal, the Indian side dish. He gives it unexpected richness by whisking in butter just before serving. More Fantastic Soups By Rajat Parr Rajat Parr World-renowned wine expert Rajat Parr is a sommelier, winemaker, and co-founder of Sandhi, Domaine de la Côte, and Evening Land Vineyards. He co-authored two books on wine, the James Beard Award-winning Secrets of the Sommeliers (2010) and the André Simon Drink Book Award-winning The Atlas of Taste (2018). Parr has demonstrated his unparalleled scent memory with appearances in such wine documentaries as SOMM, SOMM3, Cellar Stories, and Blind Tasting Sessions. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 5, 2017 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Anna Williams Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins Yield: 4 Ingredients 1 cup black lentils (6 ounces) 2 cardamom pods One 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced, plus 2 tablespoons minced ginger 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 onion cut into 1/2-inch dice 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon garam masala 2 quarts vegetable stock or low-sodium broth 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes Salt Directions In a pot, cover the lentils, cardamom and sliced ginger with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil and cook over moderately high heat until the lentils start to soften, about 10 minutes. Drain the lentils and transfer to a bowl; discard the cardamom and ginger. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in the pot. Add the onion, garlic and minced ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Add the coriander, cumin, cayenne and garam masala and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 4 minutes. Add the stock, tomatoes and lentils to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer over moderate heat until the lentils are softened and the soup has thickened, about 1 hour. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and season with salt. Ladle into bowls and serve. Suggested Pairing Parr looks to Beaujolais for an excellent partner to this soup; given the right producer and vineyard, he says, the wine can transcend its ho-hum reputation and be truly great. Rate it Print