Healthy Indian Soup Recipes

This curried red lentil soup is inspired by the Indian side dish dal; the Hindi word means “split” and refers to the split peas or lentils used in its preparation. Fragrant ginger, curry, cinnamon and cumin add lots of rich flavor. Look for lentils and spices in bulk--you'll often get a better deal and you can buy just the amount you need.

Mulligatawny, which literally means “pepper water,” is an English interpretation of an Indian dish. It has seemingly limitless versions, but most have curry and a bit of chicken. We've added tart Granny Smith apples, plenty of spice and a touch of coconut milk.

This southern-Indian-inspired vegetable dal recipe is rich and creamy thanks to light coconut milk and gets exotic flavor from spice-infused coconut oil. Serve with flatbread or naan.

If you like a bit of heat, use hot Madras curry powder in this recipe. Serve as a light lunch or as an appetizer before supper.

Paneer, a fresh cheese that tastes like a cross between mozzarella and feta, is a common ingredient in vegetarian Indian recipes. To make this healthy Indian spinach recipe vegan, substitute tofu for the paneer and use “lite” coconut milk instead of yogurt.

Curry powder, fresh ginger and garlic infuse this chicken soup with lots of flavor.

Salmon and eggplant team up in this one-skillet curry flavored with coconut milk, basil and lime. We love the flavor of Thai yellow curry paste in this dish, but any type of curry paste can be used--be sure to taste as you go because curry blends vary in flavor and heat. If you don't have curry paste, curry powder works well here. Serve with fragrant brown rice, such as basmati or jasmine.

Protein-rich yellow split peas combined with fresh vegetables yields a hearty, stewlike curry--perfect for a cold winter night by the fireplace, with a loaf of crusty bread. Try any combination of vegetables--sweet potatoes, winter squash and spinach create a sweeter offering. Don't be alarmed by the number of chiles--the vegetables and split peas bring the heat level down to make each bite addictive without being excessively hot.

This tangy Indian-style curry, full of potatoes, cauliflower and carrots, is topped with a cooling cucumber raita. Serve over brown basmati rice.

This exotic, spicy soup takes advantage of the affinity between butternut squash and curry. Pureed squash has a velvety texture, which means you can forgo using cream. We serve the soup with some nonfat yogurt for a tangy note. And if you're looking for more vitamin A in your diet, look no further: this soup gives you 200 percent of the daily recommendation.