Dive into this cozy bowl of split red lentil and turmeric soup and warm your soul! Split red lentils are bathed in rich tomato broth, spiced with turmeric, bay leaf and oregano, and paired with wholesome veggies.
Lentils are at the center of my plant-based lifestyle. They are incredibly nutritious: packed with protein, fiber, iron and so much more. So many of my recipes revolve around these magical little legumes and this Red Lentil and Turmeric soup is another illustration of their power.
There are so many varieties of lentils: black, brown, green, red, yellow and more! These red lentils are a little bit sweeter than their dark-colored counterparts and thus, create a bit of a milder, less earthy taste. Another thing I love about lentils is that they cook relatively quickly, especially when compared to other beans and legumes. My go-to method for cooking any of my lentil or bean soups is to leverage the power of a pressure cooker which condenses the cooking time. In the event you don’t have one, an instant pot cooker will work or a simple pot with a lid will work, as well!
The Ingredients
We’ve already discussed the magical lentil legume. Now let’s talk about another one of the superfood spices that we’re leveraging in this recipe: turmeric. Turmeric contains a compound called curcumin which is an incredibly strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Have you seen the yellow color in Indian curry; the color comes from turmeric and reminds me of the color of sunshine!
The core veggies of these dish include onion, garlic, carrots and celery but I frequently add others. Examples include baby spinach, mushrooms and potatoes. The wonderful thing about these soups is that they’re so forgiving and take experimentation really well.
The traditional way I love to eat this soup is … as a soup! However, I have also ladled this over rice or whole grains like farro. You can also pair with crusty warm bread and dunk the bread in the tomato broth of the soup.
This red lentil and turmeric soup stores well in the fridge and the freezer. It’s also super easy to reheat so it makes a wonderful packed lunch. I receive a lot of questions about meal prepping and this soup is also great to make in batches for those who like to meal prep.
So grab yourself a spoon and let’s dig in!
Red Lentil and Turmeric Soup
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 celery sticks, diced
- 2 cups veggie broth
- 2 cups red split lentils
- 2 large handfuls baby spinach
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley leaves
- 1 8oz can tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
Instructions
- Saute your onion and garlic in olive oil for a couple of minutes in the pot. Once translucent, add the carrots, celery and 2 cups of veggie broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for a few minutes.
- Add all the rest of the ingredients: lentils, spinach, parsley, tomato sauce and the spices. Fill the pot with water until the lentils are just covered by about half an inch.
- If pressure cooking, cover and bring to high pressure. Once pressurized, reduce heat to low and pressure cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and depressurize before opening (make sure to follow the instructions on your pressure cooker).If boiling in a pot, bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 45 minutes or until lentils are cooked through (they should be soft but not mushy). You may need to add water so keep an eye as it's boiling. More water will make it a more runny soup. Less water will make it a thicker soup. Make sure to stir occasionally to ensure it's not sticking to the bottom.
- Once your lentils are cooked through and you have the desired soup texture (thin or thick), ladle into a bowl and serve!
Notes
- If you are adhering to a strict Whole Foods Plant Based Diet with no sugar, oil, or salt, simply take out the salt and oil in this recipe. It will not make a difference. To sautee your onions and garlic, use water or vegetable broth instead.
- If you don’t have fresh parsley, you can sub with 2 tablespoons of dried parsley.
- Lots of canned tomato sauces add extra ingredients. Be sure to get one with no added salt, sugars or oils.
- Lentil soup can be stored up to 5 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze in freezer safe tupperware for up to 2 months.
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