This recipe came from "Bean Feast" by Valerie Turvey. It is one of my worst stained cookbooks and that should tell you something!

1 1/2 cups masur dal or red lentils (regular supermarket lentils are fine)
4 cups or even more water (recipe called for 3 cups) (I add canned chicken broth at the end if the soup is too thick...not a whole can...I keep the rest in my fridge to use when I stir fry.)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 onions
1 tbsp (olive) oil
4 tomatoes, chopped (I use canned)
1 lemon, thickly sliced

Cook the dal or lentils in the water, together with the salt, turmeric and chili powder, until soft and falling apart - approximately, 30 to 40 minutes.

Fry the onion in the oil until lightly golden, add the tomatoes and cook until pulpy. Add to the lentils and cook gently for 10 minutes. Place a slice of lemon in the bottom of each soup bowl and pour the hot soup over it. VERY IMPORTANT: Do not omit the lemon! When you are ready to eat the soup, "dig" in the lemon to release the juice.

My notes: Serve with sliced hardboiled egg on top. Saltines are nice with it too. Items in parentheses are my additions.

Makes about 8 servings