Slow Cooker Dal Soup and Meal Planning

For meals throughout the week, do you fly by the seat of your pants or plan out each meal or somewhere in between? I find myself more intentional while grocery shopping when the meals are planned out; otherwise there’s always a major ingredient missing from that recipe I just have to have for dinner. I’m also better about starting dinner prep on time then - versus wondering at 6:30pm what’s for dinner....

[Image from a side angle of an open cookbook with a planner and pen on top. In the background is a purple dipped rim mug with a threaded B logo on a circle medallion. Setting is a warm wood breakfast table with the indirect morning sun.]

I tend to buy less random ingredients and items when shopping with a plan of what meals/snacks/baked goods I want to make for the week. Otherwise it ends up like my yarn shopping which is "OOoOoOOoO that's on sale?! I need a bunch. I don't even know what I'm going to make yet."

[Image from the top view of a black slow cooker full of colorful veggies and stock. There's a mountain of dal, dried cilantro, chopped onions, turmeric, ground cumin, ground ginger, diced tomatoes, chopped sweet potato, baby carrots, and salt swimming in stock.]

Mondays can feel harried. I love the slow cooker for Mondays. If there are leftovers (which I usually plan for leftovers), it makes for quick re-heat lunches/dinners later in the week.

[Image of a black slow cooker full of colorful veggies and stock set to be ready for consumption in six hours. The lid is held at an angle above the pot, taking up half of the image.]

Slow Cooker Dal Soup

Ingredients*

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• two handfuls of baby carrots (or chop a few large ones)
• 1 can diced tomatoes (including liquid)
• 4-6 cups chicken stock (or desired type of stock); may need more depending on soup-y preference
• 1 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons dried cilantro
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric

* Approximate measurements because I don't often measure much of anything when making soups. Feel free to change out different vegetables for what you have on hand too!

Place all ingredients in slow cooker pot; start with 4 cups of stock and add more as needed. Stir to combine. Set time for desired meal time. I started mine at noon and set it for six hours. Cover and go on with your day. Be sure to check in to see if additional liquid is needed. When time's up, ladle a cup or two into a blender and blend until it's a smooth consistency. Add that back into the soup and stir up. Soup will thicken. Serve with a little cilantro on top and pepper if desired!

[Image from above view looking down at a large white ceramic bowl on a black stove top surface. Hot yellow-orange hearty soup fills half the bowl with a sprinkle of dried cilantro because no fresh on hand.]