Turmeric Soup with Chickpeas, Orzo, and Spinach

There’s a reason why I named this recipe Turmeric Soup with Chickpeas and not the other way around! Turmeric really is the star of the show, here. This Turmeric Soup with Chickpeas, Orzo, and Spinach truly highlights one of the most delicious (and healthy!) spices out there. With a gorgeous, sunshiny, bright yellow broth and an earthy, peppery flavor – complimented by adding fresh lemon (or lime) juice – this protein-packed, anti-inflammatory, plant-based soup will keep you warm, cozy, and healthy all winter long.

I love the chickpea, orzo, and spinach combination because it’s so easy with barely any prep (and it’s easy to make vegan/plant-based, if that’s your thing!). And orzo always makes me happy in a way I can’t describe!

But the other thing I love about this Turmeric soup? Because the most important part is the flavorful, Persian-esque, turmeric-based lemony broth, it’s easy to make this your own with a protein of your choice or other grains (like rice, for a gluten-free version), and veggies. Have fun with it and make it your own – you really can’t go wrong here!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Turmeric – the star of the show! If you can swing it, buy GOOD turmeric. You’ll get the most out of the flavor. I love Diaspora Co for turmeric and their other spices – not only do they source some of the freshest and most flavorful spices out there, but there is an added bonus of incredibly ethical business practices with sourcing their spices. Morton and Basset also makes a good Turmeric available in most grocery stores.
• Orzo – Lately I’ve been using Rice Select whole wheat orzo and it’s lovely. Use any kind you like, or another small pasta or Israeli couscous. Or, feel free to use rice or quinoa (both gluten-free), or barley, farro, or another grain (keep in mind cooking times differ for many grains, so you’ll need to adjust accordingly).
• Chickpeas – this soup would also work well with another protein like rotisserie chicken, meatballs, or ground turkey. For another plant-based option, lentils would be delicious (but will take longer to cook). You’ll have to adjust the recipe for cooking times and requirements for different ingredients.
• Baby spinach – I recommend baby spinach because it’s mild in flavor, you don’t need to chop it (though I often do for smaller soup pieces), it cooks almost instantly, and it comes pre-washed and ready to go. Feel free to use another green here, like kale, but keep in mind different greens take longer to cook and may need more prep.
• Onion and Garlic
• Lemon Juice – or lime
• Other spices: cumin, salt, pepper
• Olive oil
• Broth – I prefer using homemade chicken bone broth for a super nutrition boost, but feel free to use another chicken stock/broth or of course vegetable broth for a vegetarian/vegan soup.

How to make Turmeric Soup

First, sauté some onions in olive oil until nice and soft. Then, add chickpeas, along with turmeric, cumin, salt, pepper, and garlic. Sauté those ingredients until the spices become very fragrant and the chickpeas crisp up a bit. Then, use a potato masher to mash up some, but not all, of the chickpeas (this will help thicken the soup, but you also want some whole chickpeas in there for texture).

Add broth to the pot, just a little bit at first so you can scrape up all the brown bits at the bottom of the pot before adding all of it. Bring to a boil, and then stir in the orzo. Cover and cook over low until orzo is completely cooked. Then, stir in the spinach and herbs until wilted.

Finally, turn off the heat and stir in the lemon (or lime) juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper. That’s it, all done! Told you it was easy. To serve, I recommend drizzling each bowl of soup with some olive oil, and a little crushed red pepper or Aleppo pepper if you’re so inclined. It’s also great with a scoop of Greek yogurt or an extra squeeze of lemon.

What’s so great about Turmeric, anyway?

Turmeric has long been touted as an ingredient that fights inflammation. Especially when paired with black pepper (so don’t leave that out of this soup!). Here’s a great article on the benefits of Turmeric with more information on it’s anti-inflammatory properties.

Can I make this Turmeric soup creamier?

Yes! You can make this soup creamier by replacing 1 cup of the broth with a can of full-fat coconut milk. This will add a creamy texture and a subtle coconut flavor. You can also stir in some Greek yogurt into each bowl when serving. I wouldn’t add cream with real dairy, as it will likely curdle with the lemon juice in the soup, but a drizzle of cashew cream would also work well.

Other recipes with turmeric

Other high-protein vegan, plant-based soup recipes

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