This golden red lentil soup recipe is super easy to make and amazing for your health! Red lentil soup is made with coconut milk, spinach, and other hearty ingredients. Read on below to see how incredibly healing this soup is.
Golden lentil soup is:
Anti-Inflammatory
Gut Healthy
Vegan option
Dairy Free
Gluten Free
And a bonus, you can have this soup recipe ready in under an hour!
Ingredients in Golden Red Lentil Soup
- Avocado oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Sea salt
- Carrots
- Celery
- Tomatoes
- Red lentils
- Baby spinach
- Bone broth
- Spices: cumin, thyme, turmeric, black pepper, apple cider vinegar
- Coconut milk
Red lentil soup with coconut milk is totally optional! You can either make it with the coconut milk, or without. With coconut milk it will be creamier!
Is red lentil soup good for you?
Yes! Red lentil soup is amazing for your health! Each and every ingredient in red lentil soup has healthy benefits.
Golden Red Lentil Soup Health Benefits
Avocado oil. I love using avocado oil in my cooking because it has a subtle flavor, and holds up to heat much better than other plant oils. Avocado oil is an excellent source of healthy fats, which help with your hormones and skin health!
Onion. I used yellow onion in this soup recipe. Make sure you buy yellow onions. White or red onions might give the soup a sweeter taste.
Garlic. Always use fresh garlic!! Fresh garlic is amazing for your gut health as it is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. Pre-minced garlic that has been sitting on the shelf for awhile will not have all of these amazing benefits.
Sea salt. I always use organic and unrefined pink sea salt in all of my recipes. Conventional salt, which is white, is bleached to look white! And a lot of times, manufacturers add anti-caking ingredients to it.
Carrots. Carrots are an excellent source of antioxidant beta carotene, fiber, biotin, vitamin B6, potassium, and vitamin K.
Vitamin B6 is one of the key nutrients that helps your body naturally produce more progesterone.
Celery. We used to think celery was just one of those "water vegetables." Now we know that it is so much more! Celery is an excellent source of fiber and antioxidants. Inflammation is a huge contributor to hormonal imbalances and infertility in men and women.
Diced tomatoes. I used organic diced tomatoes canned. Make sure you buy BPA free cans (of anything canned really!). BPA can mess with hormones and reproductive organs. Tomatoes are rich in a specific antioxidant called lycopene, powerful for reducing inflammation all over the body.
Red lentils. All beans and lentils are excellent for your gut health.
High fiber content in beans and lentils helps to pull excess estrogen out of your system.
Baby spinach. I used up some baby spinach that I got from my weekly produce box. If you don't have baby spinach fresh, you can easily substitute frozen spinach, or even kale.
Bone broth. I love using bone broth to add extra protein to my soups. Bone broth is also preferred over stock, because it has more collagen, which is great for your skin, hair, and joints. Bone broth is gluten free and dairy free.
Spices: cumin, thyme, turmeric, black pepper, apple cider vinegar
And you can also stir in full fat coconut milk at the end to make your soup rich and creamy!
Do you need to soak lentils?
No! Unlike other dried beans, which require a pre-soak before cooking for the best texture, red lentils do not need to be soaked! Red lentils actually cook very fast once you add liquid to them.
How to make Golden Red Lentil Soup
In a large stockpot over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons avocado oil.
Next, add 1 diced yellow onion. Stir the onion and allow it to cook until it is soft and translucent.
Add 4 cloves minced garlic. Stir them into the onions until they are just fragrant. You don't want to overcook garlic because it can become bitter if it gets too brown.
With a fine mesh strainer, rinse 1 cup of red lentils under cold water until the water runs clear.
Add the washed lentils to the pot along with your spices (2 teaspoons sea salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon turmeric powder). Stir the spices into the beans until fragrant.
Add 2 sliced carrots, 2 stalks of sliced celery, 1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes, 4 cups bone broth, and 2-3 cups of baby spinach. Stir to combine.
Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes or until the red lentils are soft.
Finally, stir in 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, and ½ cup full fat coconut milk.
Enjoy!
How to serve golden red lentil soup
Serve your red lentil soup hot. Some people like to eat their red lentil soup with lemon juice squeezed on top. Lemon juice adds a nice tang to the creamy soup texture.
OTHER FAQ's
Are lentils better than rice?
Yes! Lentils have a wider variety of nutrient than rice. And even if you are looking at wild or brown rice, lentils are still healthier. Lentils have a HUGE amount of fiber, which is excellent for balancing blood sugars.
How do you cook red lentils so they are not mushy?
Do not overcook red lentils! Make sure you turn off the heat once they are soft. You can check to see if the lentils are soft by scooping a bit out of your pan and tasting them. Also, there is no need to soak your red lentils before cooking. If you soak the lentils, you might end up with more of a mushy texture.
What happens if you don't rinse lentils?
You must rinse lentils before cooking with them. Lentils are grown in the ground, and even after manufacturer inspection, lentils can still be packaged with small stones. So make sure to inspect the lentils when you rinse them and remove any stones you see.
Other recipes with turmeric that you might like:
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Golden Red Lentil Soup
Equipment
- cutting board
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 lg yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup red lentils, washed
- 2 teaspoon pink sea salt
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 lg carrots, sliced
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 1 14oz can diced tomatoes bpa free organic
- 4 cups bone broth vegans & vegetarians sub vegetable broth
- 2-3 cups baby spinach sub kale
- 1-2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup full fat coconut milk optional for creaminess
Instructions
- In a large stockpot over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons avocado oil.
- Add 1 diced yellow onion to the warm oil and cook until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add 4 cloves minced garlic and cook just until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add 1 cup washed red lentils, 2 teaspoons sea salt, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Next, add 2 sliced carrots, 2 sliced stalks of celery, 1 14oz can diced tomatoes, 4 cups bone broth, and 3 cups baby spinach. Stir to combine.Cover the pot with a lid, reduce heat to low and cook for ~30 minutes or until the lentils are soft.
- Finally, stir in 1-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, then ½ cup full fat coconut milk.Serve warm and enjoy!
Christie
MMM this healthy lentil soup looks so good and packed with fiber! I would love to have some for dinner.
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It's so good and easy to make! You can really throw so many different veggies in there