This Turmeric & Lentil Vegetable Soup is the perfect comforting dish to warm you up this fall and winter season. Packed with nutrient-rich ingredients like turmeric, lentils, ginger, onion, and cumin, this soup is as wholesome as it is delicious. This is the kind of soup that your grandma would force feed you when you're sick with a cold or flu and for a good reason. It is filled with health-promoting ingredients like turmeric, lentils, onion, ginger, fennel, and cumin. Perfect for those looking to pack in nutrients without sacrificing flavor, this soup is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
This soup is a fun and easy way to obtain a large batch of veggies in one slurp. Since the soup is going to be blended, you won't be able to tell there's seven different veggies and lentils in there! All you have to do is cook the veggies and lentils well with broth, blend, and you have a simple and yet satiating soup. You will not need to worry about not reaching your daily fiber requirement with this soup.
As a gut health dietitian I always try to provide you with recipes that are yes, easy to make, but also gut health promoting. With all of the different vegetables mixed into the soup along with flavors like turmeric, ginger, and cumin, this is the recipe your gut is going to adore you for. When I say a recipe is "gut health promoting" it's because it has fiber, which will support your daily bowel movements and bowel regularity, it has anti-inflammatory ingredients like the turmeric, ginger, and cumin, and it has prebiotic sources, aka food for your already existing gut bacteria in your colon, like the onion. If we are claiming something is "gut promoting" it better be loaded, like this recipe is. So, let's get to the recipe!
Why You’ll Love This Turmeric & Lentil Vegetable Soup
This Turmeric Lentil & Vegetable Soup is a nutritious, satisfying meal that’s perfect for cold winter days or for when you're feeling sick and need a healing soup. Speaking of healing, this is the soup I want you having when you're not feeling your best or want a recipe that is gut nourishing. Not only does it offer a high-fiber boost from the lentils and vegetables, but the addition of turmeric gives it anti-inflammatory properties—ideal for supporting your immune system and digestive tract during the colder months. The blend of spices, including cumin, paprika, and ginger, adds depth and warmth to every bowl, making it the ultimate comfort food.
Health Benefits of Key Ingredients
Turmeric: Known for its powerful anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric can help ease muscle and joint pain, improve digestion, and support the immune system.
Lentils: These tiny legumes are rich in protein, fiber, and iron, making them a staple for vegetarians and vegans looking to boost their intake of these essential nutrients.
Ginger: A natural remedy for nausea and digestive discomfort, ginger is also great for reducing inflammation and boosting circulation.
Yields: 4
Portion size: 1 bowl
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 5 minutes
This recipe is dairy free, gluten free, and vegan.
Ingredients:
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, medium chopped
1 carrot, medium chopped
2 celery, medium chopped
⅓ butternut squash, medium chopped
1 cup cauliflower florets, medium chopped
1 turmeric, chopped into rounds or ½ tsp turmeric powder
½ zucchini, medium chopped
1 tomato, medium chopped
1 cup red lentils
1 tbsp tomato paste
¼ tsp grated ginger or 1/4 tsp ginger powder
½ tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp salt (salt to taste)
6 cups water
2 cups vegetable broth
Pita Chips:
1 small pita, cut into small squares
Extra virgin olive oil
Zaatar
Customizing Your Turmeric & Lentil Veggie Soup:
This recipe is customizable. If I'm out of a certain vegetable I will end up substituting it for another because when you puree the soup, the change in vegetable will not change the taste by too much.
Why You’ll Love This Turmeric Lentil Soup
This Turmeric Lentil & Vegetable Soup is more than just a delicious bowl of comfort—it's also incredibly nourishing. Here's why you'll love it:
Anti-inflammatory benefits: The turmeric and ginger in this soup are known for their anti-inflammatory properties, which can help reduce joint pain, boost your immune system, and support digestion.
High in fiber: With red lentils, carrots, celery, butternut squash, cauliflower, this soup is loaded with fiber making it filling and satisfying, while also promoting gut health.
Great for meal prep: This soup stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days and can be frozen for up to 2 months, making it an excellent choice for meal prep.
Instructions:
1. Prep ingredients: have the lentils washed & the vegetables & seasonings prepared. Have water boiling in an electric kettle to use for the soup later on.
2. Cook onion: in a large pot on medium high heat add in the olive oil & onion. Stir and allow the onion to cook.
3. Add ingredients: once you can smell the onion, add in the carrots, celery, zucchini, butternut squash, cauliflower, tomato, and fresh turmeric (if you have it, otherwise save seasoning for later). Stir and allow them to settle. Add the tomato paste, ginger, paprika, black pepper, cumin, salt, and turmeric powder (if you didn't use fresh turmeric). Add lentils. Stir in the seasonings well. Pour in boiling water. Pour in broth. Stir & cover until the lentils & vegetable fully cook or until tender.
4. Immerse: use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth consistency. Taste for salt, add if necessary.
5. Toast pita chips: have the oven preheated to 350 F (176 C). Cut your pita bread into small squares. Add to a baking sheet, coat with olive oil, and season with zaatar to your liking. Mix seasoning in well and bake in the oven until crispy, 7-10 minutes depending on the strength of your oven. (If you don't have pita you can skip this step)
6. Serve: serve & garnish with toasted pita chips. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
Change the onion: Swap sweet onion for red onion.
Swap out the celery: I've used fennel in this recipe and it's delicious.
Use a different broth: If you’re not vegetarian or vegan, feel free to use bone broth or chicken broth for added flavor.
Use a different starch: if you don't have butternut squash, use a ½ yellow potato.
Garnish: you can add garnishes like fresh cilantro or parsley.
No pita?: if you don't have pita bread you can either opt out of it completely or use any bread you have lying around, cut up small chunks and follow the same recipe above. You'll have delicious zaatar flavored croutons.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I make this soup ahead of time?: Yes! This turmeric lentil soup stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months. Just let it cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Can I use a different type of lentil?: While red lentils are ideal for this recipe because they cook quickly and blend smoothly, you can substitute with green or brown lentils. Keep in mind that the cooking time will increase with these lentils, so be sure to cook them until tender.
What can I serve with this soup?: This soup pairs beautifully with a side of bread that you can dip into the soup, a green salad like an arugula salad, or an added protein source, such as chicken breast or topping the soup with roasted chickpeas.
What if I don't have fresh ginger or turmeric?: Please feel free to use powdered turmeric and/or ginger if you would like. I've provided the amounts above in the ingredients section.
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