Easy Red Lentil Turmeric Pastina Soup. Light and comforting, tasty, with a delicate texture. Made with a few basic ingredients, this soup is ready in half an hour. A great vegan lunch or dinner for you to try.
Song of the day: Sunshine - OneRepublic
It's the beginning of a new year and this side of the world is experiencing a major cold snap. What better than a cozy, make-you-feel-good soup to warm up our hearts?
Mirepoix - the start of a good soup
Most of our soups start with a mirepoix, that is a combination of diced carrots, onion, and celery. The ratio is: two parts onions, one part carrots, and one part celery. To make things faster, I first cut big chunks then used a food processor to mince them fine. If your knife skills are good and you like bigger chunks of vegetables, chop them with a knife on a board.
Sauteing
- Firstly, in a pot add the evo oil and the mirepoix. Season with salt, pepper, and turmeric. Cook on medium heat until it softens, then add the red lentils and stir.
- Secondly, add the vegetable broth, the quartered cherry tomatoes, and sage or basil leaves. Simmer on low heat, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Time to add the pastina
After the soup has been simmering for about 15 minutes, it is time to add the pastina. But what is Pastina? It's an Italian word that means tiny pasta, and the one I have today is shaped as little stars (stelline). Cook it in the red lentil soup for the recommended time on the package (mine was 6 minutes). Turn off heat, plate, and enjoy!
TIP from our kitchen: at times I make this red lentil turmeric soup without adding any pastina. Adjust the amount of broth if you like it thicker or thinner.
Easy Red Lentil Turmeric Pastina Soup
When in need of something cozy and comforting like a hug, make a batch of this Easy Red Lentil Turmeric Pastina Soup. You will feel the warmth from the inside out. And look at those colors! Every time I make it, it feels like I'm bringing a little bit of sunshine to our kitchens. Nutritious and delicious, this soup is perfect for a quick lunch or dinner.
Lover of soups? Here's some more for you!
- Barley and Cannellini bean Soup
- Soft Tofu Thai Curry Soup
- Carrot Dill Fall Harvest Soup
- Romanesco Broccoli Soup with Blue Cheese and Chives
Easy Red Lentil Turmeric Pastina Soup
Easy Red Lentil Turmeric Pastina Soup. Light and comforting, tasty, with a delicate texture. Made with a few basic ingredients, this soup is ready in less than half an hour. A great vegan lunch or dinner for you to try.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 servings 1x
- Category: Soup, Vegan
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 small celery
- 2 small carrots
- ½ red or yellow onion (or 1, if not too big)
- 2 Tbsp evo oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 4-5 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ½ cup red lentils
- 1 lt/4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 sage or basil leaves
- 2 Tbsp pastina
Instructions
- Dice the carrot, onion, and celery. You can use a food processor if you want to mince them fine.
- In a pot add the evo oil and the mirepoix. Season with salt, pepper, and turmeric. Cook on medium heat until it softens, then add the red lentils and stir.
- Pour in the vegetable broth, the quartered cherry tomatoes, and sage or basil leaves. Simmer on low heat, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Now it is time to add the pastina. Cook it in the red lentil soup for the recommended time on the package (mine was 6 minutes).
- Turn off heat, plate, and enjoy!
Notes
You can dice the carrot, onion, celery with a knife or use a food processor, according to how coarse you like your vegetables.
At times I do not add any pastina and adjust the vegetable broth to how thick or thin I want the red lentil soup to be.
Store any leftover in a tupperware in the fridge for two days. Reheat on low on the stovetop or microwave. This soup also freezes well in airtight freezer containers.
I love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul.
Jere Cassidy says
I have just started to cook with lentils, can't believe I have ignored these for so long. This soup looks easy and so comforting, plus I love the turmeric flavor. Saving to make.
I can't believe it either 😉 . Lentils are a powerhouse, hope you will give them a chance more often! Thanks!
Veronika Sykorova says
I like how you mince the veggies in the food processor to blend all the flavors together better. Can't believe how quick and easy this soup is, I'm making it tomorrow for the rest of the week!
Thanks! Using the food processor is faster than mincing all the veggies by hand 😉 .
Allyssa says
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing pastina recipe! Will surely have this again! It's really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
Thank you! Yes, it's so easy to put together and absolutely delicious.
Sharon says
This lentil soup is a wonderful winter warmer that is full of healthy ingredients, especially turmeric.
It's a total winter warmer! We make it sooo often!
Adriana says
Love the addition of the pastina as it provides a very nice texture to the soup. It is so comforting, perfect for the winter weather.
Thank you! It's perfect for the cold weather, very cozy, but also good without any pasta.
GUNJAN C Dudani says
oh my gosh!!! this was so good and delicious. the addition of turmeric was perfect and made it healthier.
Thanks! Healthy and delicious. Gotta love that 😉 .
silvia says
I have never combined lentils and pasta before, it was a revelation, so good. It reminded me a soup my mom used to make when I was young. She always had bags with small pasta shapes to make a soup in minutes.
In Italy lentils and pasta or rice is so popular! Very good for you and delicious 😉 .
Liz says
I am new to cooking with lentils. I added this recipe on my list to try! Seems so easy, yet very delicious!
Wow! Lentils are amazing allies in the kitchen! Hope now you're going to use them more!
Chandice says
You were not kidding when you said great vegan lunch that’s quick! So delicious and beautiful too sprinkled with fresh herbs.
It's one of our go-to for sure! It's a pleasure every time 😉 .
Amanda Dixon says
I'm so happy with how this soup turned it! It was super cozy for winter but at the same time, not too heavy. I will put this on the rotation for sure.
Thaks! It's not heavy at all. Light and healthy, and oh so comforting!
Moop Brown says
This soup looks super hearty and seems like a perfect dish to warm up with during this cold season
It's total comfort. We've had temperatures in the minus 40 and this was welcomed!
Chenee Lewis says
This soup was so comforting for this weather! Love the flavors and the turmeric!
Thank you! Yes, comforting, healthy and delicious!
Pasqualina says
Just made the lentil soup and it hit the spot for the whole family especially with tonight's temperature at -30°C. Grazie mille!
Prego! I'm so happy to hear that. I really love this soup and yes, it's perfect for those type of temperatures. Thank you for leaving the feedback!
You can totally remove the tomatoes and it's still delicious!
ryann says
any ideas for replacing or leaving out tomatoes for an allergy?