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    Home » Food » Homestead Kitchen Recipes » Soups & Stews

    Turmeric Lentil Soup Recipe

    Modified: Aug 6, 2025 by Sarita Harbour · Published: Jan 30, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links and Amazon links

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    Looking for a flexible soup recipe to use up some of your pantry staples and root vegetables? Check out my turmeric lentil soup recipe. I developed this recipe over the years and it's a great way to add anti-inflammatory turmeric to your diet.

    A pot of soup in the process of being cooked, containing lentils, diced carrots, broth, herbs, and other vegetables.
    Photo credit: An Off Grid Life.

    Turmeric Lentil Soup Recipe

    Turmeric has long been used in East Asian and Middle Eastern cooking and recipes, often with spicier curry seasonings.  

    Turmeric lentil soup in a large potPin

    I adapted this recipe from an Italian-style soup to include turmeric and a wider variety of vegetables and herbs, like fresh basil.

    fresh basilPin

    As my daughters love black beans, I'll sometimes substitute in two cups of beans instead of lentils.

    chopped celery and peppers

    This turmeric lentil soup recipe freezes well. It is inexpensive and a good choice if you're looking for ways to cut costs. Another favorite frugal recipe is this one pot zucchini mushroom pasta.

    It's the perfect recipe to help you get through a freezer or pantry challenge when you're trying to use up odds and ends of dried goods and frozen vegetables. Serve it with a slice of jalapeno cheddar bread and you'll have a hearty meal.

    Looking for another delicious and inexpensive dish? Try this vegetarian Indian-style Mac & cheese recipe!

    dried lentilsPin

    As we work hard to secure our food supply, we're also stocking our pantry with dried beans, rice, and lentils.

    So I'm always on the lookout for new versions of a good lentil turmeric soup recipe. (And if you prefer a more basic version, try my Homemade Vegetable Soup Recipe.)

    So rummage through your fridge and add in leftover veggies, rice, pasta, or even add bits of chicken or beef if you have it.

    Red onionPin

    This is also a great soup to make in a large cast-iron dutch oven on a wood stove.

    My husband likes to add a few dashes of hot sauce to his, and I like a few tablespoons of shredded old cheddar cheese on mine. And one of my sons likes a dollop of sour cream and green onions on his.

    Recipe

    Close up of green lentils, turmeric, and veggies in a soup pot

    Turmeric Lentil Soup Recipe

    Sarita Harbour
    This easy Turmeric Lentil Soup Recipe is a delicious and inexpensive soup to make from your pantry and fridge staples.
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    Prep Time 40 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
    Course Soups & Stews
    Servings 12 Cups
    Calories 150 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 chopped red or white onion
    • 1 cup chopped celery or broccoli
    • 1 cup chopped carrot
    • ½ cup diced green pepper
    • ½ cup diced red pepper
    • ½ cup diced potato or sweet potato
    • 2 tbsps olive oil
    • 3 cloves crushed garlic
    • 1 tablespoon turmeric
    • 2 teaspoon oregano
    • 5 leaves fresh basil OR 2 teaspoon dried basil
    • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
    • 1 teaspoon pepper
    • 3 bay leaves
    • 2 cartons organic vegetable chicken, or beef broth or 8 cups homemade broth
    • 2 cups water
    • 1 cup dried green brown or red lentils
    • 2 cans diced tomatoes or 4 cups diced fresh tomatoes
    • 1 tablespoon honey
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions
     

    • Saute onion, garlic, peppers, celery, and carrots in olive oil for 5 minutes.
    • Add all remaining ingredients.
    • Simmer on low heat for at least 1 ½ hours.

    Notes

    This soup freezes very well, and is even more flavorful the next day. Use any combination of vegetables you have on hand. We've made this with corn, broccoli, and mushrooms as well. Also added leftover pasta, rice or barley.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 150kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 8gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 306mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8g
    Keyword turmeric lentil soup recipe
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    About Sarita Harbour

    Sarita Harbour is a long-time freelance writer, blogger, and homesteader who has been creating online content for over 15 years. She’s the founder of An Off Grid Life, where she shares practical advice on self-reliance, homesteading, off-grid living, and homeschooling based on her 11-year adventure living in Canada’s remote Northwest Territories.

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    Sarita Harbour.

    I'm Sarita. My family and I lived off the grid for 11 years in Canada's far north. If I did it, you can too.

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