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Square photo of overhead view of a bowl of turmeric soup with orzo, chickpeas, spinach, and lemon, with aleppo pepper and olive oil on top.
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4.80 from 5 votes

Turmeric Soup with Chickpeas, Orzo, and Spinach

This Turmeric Soup features turmeric as the star of the show - a whole tablespoon of it! - plus chickpeas, whole wheat orzo, spinach, herbs, and a generous amount of fresh lemon or lime juice. You can use any kind of small pasta or grain you like here - for example, substitute rice for a gluten-free version. While I love using chicken bone broth for a boost of nutrition, this soup is vegan/vegetarian if you use vegetable broth. You'll love this gorgeous, heathy, sunshiny soup all through the winter!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Persian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 349kcal
Author: Elizabeth Lindemann

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric see notes
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 15-oz. cans chickpeas drained and rinsed well, or about 3 cups cooked chickpeas
  • kosher salt and black pepper see notes
  • 4 cups broth chicken or vegetable, depending on preferences; see notes
  • ½ cup whole wheat orzo or regular orzo, Israeli couscous, or other small pasta shape, or an alternative grain; see notes
  • 5 oz. baby spinach about 4 packed cups
  • ¼ cup cilantro and/or parsley chopped
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice from about 1 lemon, or lime juice, plus more if you like things really lemony!
  • olive oil, red pepper, lemon wedges, and/or Greek yogurt for serving, optional

Instructions

  • In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced 1 medium onion and sauté until softened and browned, about 5 minutes.
    Add the minced 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon cumin, and drained and rinsed 2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, along with some kosher salt and black pepper to the pot. Continue to sauté for another 5 minutes or so, stirring frequently, until spices and garlic become fragrant and chickpeas start to crisp up a bit.
    Adding turmeric and cumin to onions and chickpeas in a pot.
  • Use a potato masher (or a fork) to mash some of the chickpeas to break them down and release some of their starch (this will thicken the soup), making sure to leave some whole for texture.
    Using a potato masher to mash chickpeas after sautéing in spices in a pot.
  • Add the 4 cups broth, starting with just a little so you can scrape up any stuck-on brown bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil. Add the ½ cup whole wheat orzo, stir, turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until orzo is fully cooked.
    Adding orzo to turmeric soup.
  • Stir in the 5 oz. baby spinach (optionally, you can give it a rough chop first if you like smaller pieces) and chopped ¼ cup cilantro and/or parsley until wilted.
    Adding spinach, cilantro, and parsley to turmeric soup to wilt in.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in the 2 tablespoons lemon juice and season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve with some olive oil, red pepper, lemon wedges, and/or Greek yogurt if desired.
    Adding lemon juice to turmeric soup.

Notes

  • Yes, a full tablespoon of turmeric may seem like a lot, but this is TURMERIC soup, after all! If you want a more mild turmeric taste, feel free to take this amount down by half. I recommend Diaspora Co. Pragati Turmeric for a really flavorful, high quality option.
  • The amount of salt and pepper you add will depend on your ingredients used. Canned chickpeas and broth will already have some salt in them, which is why there isn't a specified amount of salt and pepper here. You'll have to add a little bit and adjust later as needed in this case.
  • I prefer using a homemade chicken bone broth here, which adds to the nutrition of the soup. Use any kind of broth you like (and of course use vegetable broth for a vegetarian/vegan version of this soup!). For an easy and delicious broth option, I recommend Better than Bouillon low sodium roasted chicken or low sodium seasoned vegetable bases - they last forever in your fridge!
  • I used Rice Select Whole Wheat Orzo. Alternatives: you can use any kind of small pasta, Israeli couscous, or another grain like rice, quinoa, barley, farro, etc. For a gluten-free version, rice or quinoa works well. Keep in mind that different grains take different amounts of time to cook, so you'll need to adjust accordingly.
  • Make it creamy: substitute 1 cup of the broth for a can of full-fat coconut milk.

Nutrition

Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 658mg | Potassium: 647mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2637IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 6mg