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May 11, 2022

by Alyssa

Detox Turmeric Lentil Soup

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This Turmeric Lentil Detox Soup is a simple, healthy, and hearty meal that's great for digestion and the liver. It’s easy to make, packed with protein, and delicious!

Overhead view of detox turmeric lentil soup in bowl with spoon

Let’s get this out of the way: the word “detox” is controversial in the health world, and I’m not going to claim that this detox soup will purge your body of toxins and have you feeling like a brand new person after a single bowl. Instead, consider this a detox-friendly soup—it's packed with ingredients that support your body's natural detoxification system!

You see, our bodies are pretty darn amazing (if you didn't already know). We have systems inside of us that naturally flush out unwanted junk that we're consuming. There aren’t magical foods that “detox” our bodies, but you can support your liver and digestive system by eating the wholesome, nutrient-dense foods they need to do their job.

Enter: Detox Turmeric Lentil Soup.

Just like my Easy Red Lentil Soup and Creamy Sweet Potato & Red Lentil Curry, this Turmeric Lentil Detox Soup is packed with flavor, protein, and fiber, but it's also made with some key ingredients to support your digestive system and liver health.

Overhead view of detox turmeric lentil soup in bowls

What Are the Health Benefits of Turmeric?

Curcumin is the active component in turmeric, and not only does it give turmeric its rich golden color, it’s also responsible for its detox powers. Curcumin has been shown to not only help reduce inflammation, but also support, and even enhance, the production of bile in the gallbladder. Bile helps the liver flush out toxins, and it also rejuvenates liver cells!

Overhead view of detox turmeric lentil soup ingredients

What You’ll Need

Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

  • Avocado oil
  • Onion
  • Celery
  • Turnip or potato
  • Sweet potato – Sweet potatoes are high in fiber to support the digestive system and liver health.
  • Garlic – Garlic is high in vitamin C and antioxidants, both of which help support the liver and kidneys as they are working to flush toxins from our bodies.
  • Sea salt – Regular salt is fine, too, but sea salt brings some extra minerals to the table.
  • Black pepper – Black pepper contains a compound called piperine that enhances the absorption of curcumin in the body. Whenever you have turmeric, you should always pair it with black pepper!
  • Dried thyme
  • Green or brown lentils – High fiber foods like lentils help the digestive system do its job more effectively. 
  • Red lentils
  • Turmeric
  • Ginger – Ginger speeds up the emptying of the stomach and soothes digestive upset.
  • Cumin
  • Vegetable broth – Homemade vegetable broth is best, but store-bought is fine too.
  • Water
  • Almond milk
  • Spinach
  • Fresh herbs – I like parsley, which has a number of health benefits, but cilantro is delicious in this soup too!
  • Lemon juice
  • Red pepper flakes

How to Make Turmeric Lentil Detox Soup

I can't wait for you to try this soup! Not only is it cozy and loaded with healthy ingredients, it also tastes amazing—and it’s a cinch to make. What’s not to love?!

Four photos showing process of making detox turmeric lentil soup

Cook the veggies. Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Stir in the onions, celery, turnip, potato, and garlic; cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables soften a bit. Add the salt, pepper, and thyme and cook about 2 minutes more.

Simmer. Add the lentils, turmeric, ginger, and cumin to the pot. Sauté for a minute or two, then pour in the broth and water. Bring the soup to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Detox turmeric lentil soup with spinach and parsley on top, before stirring

Finish. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond milk, spinach, herbs, lemon juice, and pepper flakes. Once the spinach has wilted, serve immediately.

Ladle of detox turmeric lentil soup held over pot

Tips for Success

This is a simple soup, but I still have a few hints and tips to help make sure it turns out perfect!

  • Pick over the lentils. Whenever you cook with lentils, you should rinse them and give them a quick inspection to make sure there aren’t any pebbles in them. (Believe it or not, it does happen.)
  • Cut your veggies in uniform sizes. This ensures that they’ll cook evenly!
  • Customize it to your needs. Swap the vegetable stock for bone broth (or vegan bone broth!), use heavy cream or coconut milk instead of almond milk, substitute butternut squash for sweet potatoes—this Turmeric Lentil Detox Soup is easy to adapt to all kinds of dietary needs!

Serving Suggestions

This detox soup is delicious as-is, but here are some ideas for jazzing it up!

  • Make it creamier. Add a dollop of yogurt or cashew cream on top and swirl it in just before eating!
  • Add some texture. Toasted cashews, crispy roasted chickpeas, and kale chips are all delicious toppings for this soup.
  • Pair it with your favorite grain. Naturally, we’re partial to cooked quinoa, but brown rice is good too!
Detox turmeric lentil soup in white bowl with spoon

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

This detox soup is a healthy meal prep option for lunch or dinner, so you might want to double the recipe! Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days and reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Can This Recipe Be Frozen?

Like most soups, Detox Turmeric Lentil Soup freezes beautifully! Store it in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months; it can be thawed in the refrigerator or reheated from frozen.

Overhead view of bowls of turmeric lentil soup

More Delicious Soup Recipes:

Detox Turmeric Lentil Soup

This Detox Turmeric Lentil Soup is a flavorful cleansing soup recipe made with ingredients that support liver and digestive health.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 338kcal
Print Pin
Overhead view of detox turmeric lentil soup in bowl with spoon
3.89 from 587 votes

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped turnip or potato
  • 2 1/2 cups chopped sweet potato
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 cup green or brown lentils
  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons turmeric I like 2
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1 cup spinach
  • 1 cup fresh herbs I like parsley
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large stockpot or dutch oven. Add onions, celery, turnip, potato and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes until everything softens slightly. Season with salt, pepper and thyme and cook about 2 minutes.
  • Add lentils, turmeric, ginger and cumin and saute 1 – 2 minutes, then add the broth and water. Bring the soup to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and stir in almond milk, spinach, herbs, lemon and pepper flakes until spinach has wilted. Serve immediately!

Video

Notes

How to store: Store this soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 444mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 6g

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About Alyssa

Hey there, I’m Alyssa Rimmer, a certified Holistic Nutritionist, yoga-lover, dog mom, and founder of Simply Quinoa. It’s nice to meet you! I created SQ as a way to provide solutions for women just like me, who were struggling to find helpful information about how to live a healthy and fulfilled life. My hope is that you will find inspiration here on SQ – in my story, in my recipes, in the hundreds of wellness articles, and in our amazing community. Welcome!

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  1. This was tasty and incredibly filling but I realized a bit too late that it made way too much for two people. Luckily I can freeze half of it for a later date. I will say, it was all the same mushy texture throughout and not really soupy – more of a stew? I used coconut milk instead of almond so maybe that was the issue. Next time I think I will precook the lentils and add them in after the vegetables are cooked and then not simmer it as long. Hopefully, that will allow the vegetables to still have a bit of bite to them.
    For this round, I toasted some chickpeas in the air fryer with salt, pepper, and cayenne for a bit more heat and texture. I might add some sauteed okra or peppers to the leftovers to break up the mush. Either way, it was delicious and hopefully will get me and my husband’s guts back on track after traveling abroad.

  2. I made this last night and it was delicious and very filling. My husband also raved about the flavor of it and even had seconds. We will definitely do this one again. Thanks so much.

  3. This has to be the most nourishing delicious meal I have made/had in a while and so easy to do!! I subbed butternut squash for the potatoes and coconut milk for the almond milk. Followed the rest and served with steamed brown rice and hot pepper flakes on top. AMAZING RECIPE!! PROMISE!!

  4. Making this tonight! Putting in the crockpot, I’ll post about the turn out. However., I’m out of almond milk. Thoughts of using coconut milk? I’ll add in just before serving or maybe 30 min prior. Let me know if you think that’ll blend well with the flavors. Thanks!

    • Yes, you could make this in the crockpot but I am unsure how long it would need to cook. If you try it let us know how it turns out 🙂

  5. I came across this recipe today and I happen to have all the ingredients on hand (total win right there) it was delicious and will definitely be repeated! Thank-you!

  6. This is delicious. I tasted it for seasoning when I was done and felt it needed a little bit of salt. I swirled a pink himalayan salt cube through for 30 seconds and it was perfection!

  7. I see in the video that you used 1-2 tbsp ground turmeric, so if I use fresh turmeric I should triple that amount (I believe fresh is usually 3 times the amount of dried). Is that correct? Thanks

  8. This was a hit in my household! Can you tell me however, what is the serving size (1/2 cup, 1 cup)? It seems like the recipe should feed more than people, even if the serving size is 1 cup. Thank you!

  9. I was skeptical of this soup but I’m trying to be vegan so I gave it a shot and WOW! I used couscous instead of brown lentils and it is amazing! The flavor is delicious. I’m sending this to my friends to try too!

  10. Hi there! Is it possible to use canned lentils in this recipe, or will the result not be the same?
    Thanks in advance!

  11. Hi is there any way I can avoid putting any milk in the soup at all. Else can I substitute with yogurt if required

  12. Is there a way on your side to screen the ads? The toenail fungus ad that kept on coming up was definitely not appetizing while trying to make dinner!

  13. Thanks Alyssa for such a yummy recipe! I made this tonight and followed every step and it turned out great!! I ended up having a little bit more. Being in college I’m always looking for ways to prep meals for the week. This one will definitely be added to my list. You’re awesome!

  14. Love this recipe but cannot make it due to measurements being in “cups”. One website lists a cup of celery as 106g another states 225g. Big difference so I’ve no idea what quantities to use. Such a shame as this looks amazing!

  15. Made this for dinner and was so surprised that my husband loved it.It was delicious and we have it with wraps to deep it in.I used curry leaves instead of tarragon and will definitely make it again.Thanks so much for sharing this yummy dish.

  16. thank you for this I am always looking for healthy soup recipes for winter how about some summer cold soups low carbs veggies

  17. Hi Canyou advise if your detox turmeric lentil soup would be the best one for my arthritis& osteo spinal stenosis pain please?,

    • I’m not a medical professional, so I can’t tell you if this will help with pain. I’m sorry!

  18. Hi I lamost never comment on the recipes I try – But this one was that good..I made it with just half the lentils so was more soup – Omg it was amazing. Thank you for this recipe – definitely will make again. Plus I felt really great after eating – A winner

  19. I just made this for lunch and it is unbelievably good! I used 1/2 cilantro and 1/2 parsley for the fresh herbs. Will definitely make again!

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