Red Lentil and Turmeric Soup
Founder / Chef / Everyone’s Best Friend
Andy Hay
Welcome to my kitchen. I hope to inspire you to grow as a home cook!
If you’re looking for an easy meal to help get your gut health back in shape, this Red Lentil and Turmeric Soup might be it. Packed with warm, smoky spices, soft wilted greens and tender veggies. I might be making this one all year round.
Red Lentil and Turmeric Soup – Building a base.
I’m going to sound like a broken record here, but to make a good soup you have to have a solid base.
Building a base of flavour means you give your dish every opportunity to taste amazing.
We want to see colour on those onions and garlic (not burnt), we want those spices to bloom and develop.
Adding ginger to the pot and cooking it out, you get a rounder ginger that goes so well with sweet potato and cumin.
If you added the spices into a large pot of liquid, they wouldn’t be as distinct, strong and flavourful.
Red Lentil and Turmeric Soup – More Turmeric.
A lot of you most likely have a jar of turmeric in your cupboard, but don’t know what to do with it.
It stains your fingers bright yellow (not to mention your tupperware) and has a unique flavour profile.
What you might not know is the insane health benefits it has as an ingredient. Many people believe it has great anti- inflammatory side effects, while others say it’s great for liver health.
Regardless of what it does for us, it is a great way to add deep colour and a mild earthy- sweetness to any dish.
Cooking with lentils.
I love cooking with lentils. I always seem to have a massive jar of them laying around at all times, and for good reason.
They are a fantastic addition to a ton of soups and stews. Best part is how easy they are to cook.
Think of lentils kind of like pasta. They don’t need an exact amount of water to be absorbed like rice. The best way to cook a lentil is to boil it in a large pot of water (or soup) until tender.
When we cook our lentils in the soup, they absorb all of that flavour and spice, giving you a more flavourful and undiluted dish!
Other recipes to check out!
If you liked the sound of this meal, here are a few other recipes to check out!
Ingredients:
- 2 Yellow Onions diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 inch Ginger minced
- 2 Carrots peeled and diced
- 3 Celery Stalks diced
- 1 Sweet Potato diced
- 2 tsp Cumin
- 1 1/2 tbsp Turmeric
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 4 cups Veggie Stock
- 2 cups Water
- 1 cup Dried Red Lentils
- 2 cups Kale chopped
- 1 cups Diced Tomato
- 1/2 Lemon
Instructions:
- Into a pot set over medium heat, add in 2 tbsp of olive oil. Once heated add in 2 diced onions, 2 minced garlic cloves and 2 inches of minced ginger. Allow your aromatics to cook down for about 2 min.
- Next we want to add in 2 diced carrot, 3 diced celery stalks and 1 diced sweet potato. Mix well.
- Add in 2 tsp of cumin, 1 ½ tbsp of turmeric, 2 tsp of smoked paprika, 1 1/2 tsp of kosher salt and 1 tsp of black pepper. Give that a mix and allow your spices to bloom. Cook for 2-3 min.
- Next add 1 tbsp of tomato paste along with 4 cups of veggie stock and 2 cups of water. Give that a good mix. Add in 1 cup of red lentils. Let that bubble away for 15 – 20 min or until your lentils are soft.
- Once your lentils are cooked, add in about 2 cups of shredded kale, 1 cup of diced tomatoes and about ½ a lemon juiced. Give that a stir and season with kosher salt and black pepper.
Andy Hay
Andy is the founder of ECK, Chef, and let’s admit it… the reason you’re here. He taught himself to cook, and it all paid off when he secured his spot in the season 5 Finale of Master Chef Canada. Now, Andy uses his big energy to showcase recipes that actually make people want to cook. His brand was built on butter and East Coast charm, and Andy’s kept that same energy ever since. Off-camera, you’ll find him doing what started it all: cooking for his two daughters, wife and the people he loves.
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Im not a big fan of kale but willing to give this a go
Let me know how it turns out, Lisa!
Could I purée the lentil mixture before adding the kale, etc?
Yes, absolutely! You can purée the lentil mixture. It’ll give you a creamier texture while still letting the kale add a nice bit of bite at the end. Just be sure to blend carefully (especially if it’s still hot), then stir in the kale, tomatoes, and lemon juice to finish. Let me know how it turns out!
This was so quick and easy to prepare for supper….AND it was absolutely delicious. Will be adding this to my favs
So glad to hear that, Patti—quick, easy, and delicious is the dream combo! Thanks for trying it, and happy it’s earned a spot in your favorites
I am so disappointed in this lentil soup. I have never cooked with turmeric before and the soup is just too hot, but not cayenne pepper hot. I’d like to do something to save it but not sure if I could add something to water it down. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Hi Liz, Turmeric has a strong, earthy flavor that can feel overwhelming if you’re not used to it, especially when it’s the main note.
Here are a few things you can try to mellow it out:
1. Add coconut milk or cream or even some water or broth to help soften the intensity. You can also stir in a squeeze of lemon or lime juice – the acidity can help balance things out a bit. The other option is adding starch like a small potato (cooked and mashed in) or a scoop of cooked rice to help absorb some of the heat.
Let me know how it goes.
Hi. Can I put in a smoked meat like turkey and/or use any meat? I’m not ready to go meatless nor vegan just yet.
Hi Sherri! Totally understandable—and yes, you can absolutely add smoked turkey or any meat you like. It’s a super flexible soup, so feel free to make it your own. The smoky flavor would actually pair really nicely with the spices. Let me know how it turns out.