Here is an easy red lentil soup recipe flavored with turmeric and ginger. This creamy soup is flavorful and satisfying any time of the year!
My readers probably know by now that I'm a big fan of easy soup recipes. Give me a bowl of Mediterranean green lentil soup, instant pot lentil soup or Turkish red lentil soup and I'm happy! This red lentil soup recipe is another staple in our home. It's full of aromatic and tasty spices!
A delicious red lentil soup recipe
Nothing beats a delicious creamy lentil soup when you're craving comfort food. It's easy and can be ready in only 30 minutes.
What's special about this recipe?
This red lentil soup recipe is all about spices and flavors. In this recipe, I use garlic, fresh ginger, turmeric and paprika which are all aromatic and very flavorful. Red lentils don't have much flavor on their own, but they have an amazing creamy texture once cooked that nicely complements the warm flavors. You could even say that this is comfort food, Mediterranean style!
Let's talk for a moment about turmeric. It's one of the spices I simply cannot live without. When I first moved to the US, I noticed that turmeric isn't nearly as common as in Iran, where you can find turmeric in every single household. I think the Persian obsession with turmeric speaks to the many similarities between Indian and Iranian cuisine. 
Ingredients
To make this delicious red lentil soup, you need the following ingredients:
Olive oil
I love using extra virgin olive oil for cooking. The fruitiness and earthiness of a good quality olive oil enhances the flavor of simple ingredients.
Onion, garlic and ginger
Every delicious dish starts with sauteing onion and garlic in some olive oil. Don't be shy when it comes to using garlic: the more the merrier! As for ginger, you can use freshly grated ginger or ginger powder.
Pro tip: Keep some ginger in the freezer and simply grate it when you need it for a recipe.
Red lentils
Red lentils come with many benefits. They lower cholesterol and help with digestion. You can find red lentils at almost any supermarket. They are small, and when cooked, they fall apart and become very creamy. Not only they're great for soup, but you can also make other dishes such as vegan lentil meatballs using red lentils.
Spices
Ginger, cumin, turmeric, paprika and salt are the spices used in this recipe. If you like spicy soups, you can add a bit of cayenne pepper.
What is the difference between red lentils and green lentils?
Red lentils turn yellow when they're cooked and they get very very soft whereas green lentils hold their shape and stay green/light brown once they're cooked.
Preparing the soup
Step 1: Saute onion, garlic and ginger
Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic and ginger until the onion is translucent and golden.
Step 2: Add spices and red lentils
Add cumin, turmeric, and paprika and salt to the ingredients you just sauteed. Stir to combine so the spices start releasing their aromas. Next, add in the red lentils and stir for one minute. 
Cook
Add in the water or vegetable stock and bring the soup to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 25 to 30 minutes until the lentils are creamy and fully cooked.
One final touch
Right before serving this red lentil soup, add a squeeze of lemon juice and give it a nice stir. Lemon juice gives this soup some brightness and fresh flavor.
Do I need to blend this soup?
I didn't blend this turmeric ginger lentil soup after cooking but you can of course blend it with an immersion blender (or, for that matter, in a standard blender) if you want an even smoother soup.
How to make this soup in instant pot
It's very easy to make red lentil soup in instant pot:
- Press the saute function and saute onion, garlic and ginger until translucent.
- Add in spices and stir well to combine.
- Stir in lentils and add 4-5 cups of water to the pot.
- Lock the lid and press pressure cook and set the valve to seal and set the timer for 10 minutes.
- Once the cooking time ends, turn the valve to venting and do a quick release and serve.
Storing and freezing
You can make a big batch of this soup and refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat, transfer the soup to a sauce pan, add ⅓ cup water and simmer over medium low heat, stirring occasionally.
This soup also freezes very well. Store the soup in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, simply transfer the frozen soup to a sauce pan or a pot and add ½ to 1 cup water. Simmer over medium low until the soup is completely heated through.
Notes and tips
- A small amount of turmeric goes a long way so you want to make sure you don't overuse it - otherwise the dish will be overpowering.
- For a creamier texture, blend the soup in a blender on high for 3 minutes.
- If fresh ginger is not available, you can use 1 teaspoon ginger powder.
- If you like this red lentil soup to be spicy, add ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper to the soup at the end.
- Red lentils absorb a lot of water; if the soups starts to be very thick, add in half a cup of water at a time.
- You can also make this delicious red lentil soup with vegetable broth.
Red Lentil Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Onions Diced
- 4 cloves Garlic Minced
- 2 tsp Ginger
- 1 ½ tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 2 cup Red Lentils
- 6-7 cups Water or broth
- 2 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Saute onion until translucent. Add in garlic and ginger and give it a nice stir.
- Add in turmeric , cumin and paprika. Saute for two minutes until the spices release their aromas.
- Add in red lentils, stir for a minute.
- Add in the water and turn the heat up so the soup starts simmering. Lower the heat, cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes until the lentils are fully cooked. Add in salt to taste.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- A small amount of turmeric goes a long way so you want to make sure you don't overuse it - otherwise the dish will be overpowering.
- For a creamier texture, blend the soup in a blender on high for 3 minutes.
- If fresh ginger is not available, you can use 1 teaspoon ginger powder.
- If you like this red lentil soup to be spicy, add ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper to the soup at the end.
- Red lentils absorb a lot of water; if the soups starts to be very thick, add in half a cup of water at a time.
- You can also make this delicious red lentil soup with vegetable broth.
- Red lentils absorb a lot of water, if the soup is too thick, add another half a cup of water.
Mary @ Fit and Fed
Looks so easy and so good, especially with how fast red lentils cook. But Shadi, when did you move to Boston? I missed that. I was still hoping for another get-together and to see you again.
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
Hey Mary! Thanks! I moved to Boston this month, Kyle got a job at Harvard so it was time for us to start a new chapter! I hope we can get together again soon! We will always visit Seattle!
Mary @ Fit and Fed
Yes I would like that! Looks like you are still enjoying blogging and going full steam, I'm excited to watch your progress!
Kristen Chidsey
I absolutely love lentils but have not made red lentil soup before. Time to change that!
Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons
This soup is stunning! I would love to try this!
Johnna
This looks perfect for a cool fall day!
Sharon
This looks good but also seems to be a very small recipe. Does it serve two? Any reason I shouldn't double it?
Thanks!
Sharon
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
Hi Sharon! It definitely serves two. But you can of course double it and enjoy the leftovers because it's really delicious!
Kristeb
Looks so good! Have you made it with broth instead of water? How did it turn out if so?
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
Hi! Yeah, I've made it with broth too, in that case I just reduce the amount of salt as broth contains salt already 🙂
Julie
I just made this yesterday and I have to say, as a beginning cook, it was so heartening to have it not only be easy but turn out to be so delicious! This will become a recipe I go back to over and over. Thanks!
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
I'm so glad you like it Julie! Enjoy! <3
Nicole
Do you soak the lentils beforehand? And if so, is it 1cup dry or 1 cup soaked lentils?
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
Hi Nicole. No these lentils don't need to be soaked because they cook in no time. And it's 1 cup dry lentils 🙂
Rebecca
Is the ginger meant to be put in minced?
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
Hi Rebecca, Yes, it should be minced or grated. You can also use dried ginger powder.
Jenn
That looks delish! Can’t wait to try it. Now my question is, are red lentils easy to find? I can’t remember ever seeing them at the grocery store, not that I ever really looked for them.
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hi Jenn! Yes, they're really easy to find. Many super markets have them in the dry beans and peas section. You can also find them in the Middle Eastern or Indian grocery stores.
Monica | Nourish & Fete
Such a delicious soup - I have been reading so much about the health benefits of turmeric, and just love trying it in new recipes like this!
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Thank you Monica! Turmeric is a great addition to savory recipes!
Suzy | The Mediterranean Dish
love the flavors in this! YUM!
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Thank you Suzy!
Haley D Williams
What a great way to change up soup! Love your flavors!
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Thank you Haley!
Ginny McMeans
This is such a healthy take on red lentil soup. It sounds delicious too!
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Thank you Ginny! It's a very simple recipe, and delicious!
Dannii
The colour of this is amazing. Such a healthy and comforting dish.
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Thanks! It's perfect for winter!
SANDRA MURRAY
Just made this soup and it is amazing. My lot are getting stuck into it. Will be a favourite in this house
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hi Sandra! Glad to hear you love this soup! It's a favorite over here, too!
Andrea
I think there is a misprint in your recipe. I made it as shown with 2 cups of lentils.....with only 4 cups of water it was the consistency of porridge. I read through the reviews and your replies and saw that you mentioned 1 cup of lentils should be used. I added about 3 cups additional water and the consistency is good now. Flavor is good!
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hi Andrea, thank you for your comment and yes, red lentils absorb too much water and sometimes, there's need for more water/broth. I've just fixed the notes and I'm glad to hear you like this red lentil soup!
Sally Sonnex
I love lentil soup. I put in a lot of ginger and served it with some fresh lime juice ... so good I had to have a second bowl 😋
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Yay Sally! Glad you like this lentil soup, it's totally a favorite over here!
Sommer
This soup is packed full of delicious flavors! Love it.
Justine
This was so good! I loved the addition of turmeric!
Sandra Kraft
I have fresh tumeric I want to use. How much should I use?
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hi Sandra, I haven't made this soup with fresh turmeric yet so I cannot give you exact measurements, but I suggest you start with 1/2 inch grated turmeric and add more if needed.
Erin
I just made this soup tonight. It was perfectly simple, as I'm low on ingredients this week due to going away soon. It was soooo delicious! I went back for seconds. I used 2 cups lentils and about 6 cups water as suggested, and after 25 minutes I did add some more water just to soup it up a bit as the lentils had absorbed it all up already. Didn't use stock because I had already put enough salt in. And added a small chilli as needed to use those up. Soooo yummy! Usually I add loads of different things like carrots or potatoes but I didn't have any of that, so it was nice to see that it doesn't take away from the flavour. In fact I'm sure that not adding potatoes enhances the flavour more. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Thank you for your kind comment Erin, we are glad to know you enjoyed this recipe!
L
Recipe looks good. What veggies would you recommend adding? Spinach? carrots?
Do you think adding 1 tbs of garam marsala would work?
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hi! Carrots and potatoes work very well in this recipe. Also, if adding spinach, make sure to add it at the very end and stir until wilted. A splash of fresh lemon juice would be good too! I think adding garam masala to the soup instead of the mentioned spices is a good idea as well! Enjoy!
L
Thanks.
I meant adding the garam masala along with the other spices. Too much? The spices confuse me. I find them to be tricky. I may use a homemade vegetable stock (low sodium) instead of water.
Like you said, add water as needed. Those red lentils are delicate, you have to keep an eye on them when they are cooking.
Sanda Backus
I want to make a big batch of this soup for 10 to 12 people. How do I adjust the amount of ingredients? Do I just double everything? .... the so double the amount of garlic, onions, ginger, lentils, broth and the spices?
If so, can I put double the amount into the instant pot or should I cook it in Dutch oven on stove instead?
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hi Sanda, yes to feed 12 people double (or triple if you know you're serving in larger bowls) all the ingredients. If your instant pot is an 8 Qt, it should be fine. Making this soup on the stove wouldn't take that long so that could be a good option as well.
L
I got around to making it. It's good! I added some carrots and potatoes and small shells.
I like the spices but I think I got carried away (it's spicy) I also added garam masala, much more water/vegetable broth and cooked it a little longer, checking it often. Next time I will add spinach.
Do you think this recipe would work with brown lentils or green lentils? I realize I would have to presoak and cook them for a bit before adding.
Thanks
Anita
A new way to prepare lentil soup for my family and they are loving it although I was using green lentils. Thanks for sharing.
Traci
Easy, delicious, and healthy! This lentil soup checks all the boxes for me for a desirable dinner. Thanks for another great recipe!