Turmeric Lentil Soup Recipe

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. 

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Turmeric has long been used in East Asian and Middle Eastern cooking and recipes, often with spicier curry seasonings.  I adapted this recipe from an Italian-style soup to include turmeric and a wider variety of vegetables. As my daughters love black beans, I'll sometimes substitute in two cups of beans instead of lentils.

This turmeric lentil soup recipe freezes well. It is inexpensive, and a good choice if you're looking for ways to cut costs. It's the perfect recipe to help you get through a freezer or pantry challenge. So rummage through your fridge and add in leftover veggies, rice, pasta or even add bits of chicken or beef if you have it.

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.

Turmeric Lentil Soup Recipe

Yield: 12 Cups

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

This easy Turmeric Lentil Soup Recipe is a delicious and inexpensive soup to make from your pantry and fridge staples.

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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 tbsp turmeric
• 2 tsp oregano
• 5 leaves fresh basil OR 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 cartons organic vegetable, chicken, or beef broth or 4 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 tbsp honey

Instructions

1. Saute onion, garlic, peppers, celery, and carrots in olive oil for 5 minutes.
2. Add all remaining ingredients.
3. 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 Information

Yield 12 cups Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 148Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 9mgSodium 309mgCarbohydrates 21gFiber 5gSugar 8gProtein 8g