At the risk of jinxing myself, my family and I have managed to avoid getting sick this winter. I’ve been a tightly wound ball of paranoia regarding the flu. With a 14-month-old daughter, and me being almost 8 months pregnant… ugh, I don’t even want to think about it! We’ve come this far into the flu season, and I’ll be damned if we go down without a fight. Which is why I created this soup. It has a big dose of orange vegetables (high in vitamin C), as well as turmeric (which has many immune-boosting qualities), and it’s hearty enough for a whole meal with the added protein from the red lentils.
This recipe could not be easier to throw together. I garnished the soup with some pine nuts for added texture, as well as a drizzle of plain yogurt and garnish of fresh cilantro for a tangy, bright added flavor. My daughter gobbled it right up!
I pureed the soup with an immersion blender for a velvety smooth texture, but you can use a standing blender if you don’t have one, or even a potato masher if you want more texture. I used homemade chicken stock, as I always have some on hand in my freezer, but you can use vegetable stock for a vegan/vegetarian version. This recipe is already super inexpensive to make, but for an even more budget-friendly recipe, use water- just add a bit more of the seasoning to make a richer taste. If you like this recipe, you’ll love this Ginger Turmeric Butternut Squash Soup and this Greek Lentil Soup. Here’s the printable recipe for Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup with Turmeric!
