Packed full of gorgeous spices, tomatoes and nourishing lentils, all the flavours of my favourite dal. I like to make a big batch and portion up leftovers for quick lunches, served with flatbreads for scooping. Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 40 minutes SERVES Eight INGREDIENTS 2 tbsp olive oil 2 onions, chopped 3 garlic cloves, sliced A thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated 1 tsp black mustard seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp ground coriander ½ tsp dried chilli flakes 4-5 curry leaves 250g red split lentils, rinsed and drained 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes 1 x 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 100g spinach, or kale with tough stalks removed Juice of ½ lemon 2-3 tbsp coconut yogurt or coconut cream (optional) Fresh coriander leaves, to garnish For the dressing Juice of ½ lemon 25g coriander 1 tbsp tahini 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil METHOD Heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the onions, over a low heat, for 10 minutes, until softening. Add the garlic, ginger, spices and curry leaves. Fry for a further few minutes. Add the lentils along with 1.25 litres of water. Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a boil over a medium/high heat. Reduce the heat to medium/low and simmer the soup for 20 minutes. Finally, add in the chickpeas, spinach and squeeze in the lemon juice. If using, dollop in the coconut yogurt or cream. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Make the dressing by adding the ingredients, along with 50ml of water, to a mini food processor and blitzing until creamy. Serve the soup with generous amounts of dressing and some fresh coriander to garnish. Recipe from Rebel Recipes by Niki Webster (Bloomsbury, £26). Order your copy for £21.99 from books.telegraph.co.uk