Healthy & Light HEALTHY

Turmeric Lentil Soup

Name: Turmeric Lentil Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: Indian-inspired
Ingredients: 250 g red lentils, rinsed; 1 onion, diced; 2 carrots, diced; 2 garlic cloves, grated; 1 tsp grated ginger; 1 tsp turmeric; 1 tsp cumin; 400 ml coconut milk; 1 L veg stock; Handful spinach; Lemon, to finish

Red lentils collapse into a cream without any dairy, which is why this soup is both vegan and filling..

By Dana Reyes

Published 23 Sep 2026 · Tested 2 times · 0 comments

Turmeric Lentil Soup — A swirl of coconut and a handful of spinach at the end turn a plain pot golden.

10 min

Prep time

25 min

Cook time

Serves

4.7

NEW

Glow in a bowl

Red lentils collapse into a cream without any dairy, which is why this soup is both vegan and filling.

Bloom the spices in oil first — a step worth the extra pan because it takes the raw edge off the turmeric and cumin.

We tested with and without the coconut; the coconut wins on richness, but a squeeze of lemon alone keeps it lighter.

Instructions

About 35 min from start to finish

Soften the onion and carrot in oil, 6 minutes; add garlic, ginger and spices and stir 1 minute.

Tip in the lentils, stock and coconut milk; simmer 20 minutes until the lentils break down.

Blend half if you like it smooth, or leave it rustic.

Stir in the spinach to wilt, finish with lemon, and salt to taste.

Testing notes & substitutions

Three rounds of testing turned up three things worth knowing before you start cooking.

Thicker or thinner

Add stock for a soup, less for a dal-like stew to scoop with flatbread.

More heat

A chopped green chilli with the aromatics adds real warmth.

Questions we get a lot

Freezes well?

Yes, for up to three months; add the lemon after reheating.

No coconut?

Use extra stock and a little oil; still golden, just less rich.

Dana Reyes

Dana has cooked professionally for eleven years and has been testing recipes for Hearth & Thyme since 2019. She writes about weeknight cooking, slow breads, and the small techniques that quietly change a dish. Every recipe she publishes is cooked at least twice, in an ordinary home oven.