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The best dishes in life tend to fall into two categories: they’re unexpectedly simple, and they make you wonder why you haven’t been making them your whole damn life. This soup? It’s exactly that. Make extra—trust me, kids. You’ll want a stash in the freezer for the kind of day that socks you in the gut or freezes your bones. (Hello, winter 2026!) It’s the kind of soup that can go highbrow with friends or just keep you company at your kitchen table on a Tuesday. In sweats. With a spoon. And zero apologies.
Chow,
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If you make this been soup recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Featured Review
Excellent! With minimal prep, no puréeing, and using pantry ingredients, soup doesn’t get much easier or quicker to make than this.
I used lentils … I’d previously cooked and frozen, rinsed the canned beans, added dried coriander and mustard seeds, and used a heavier hand with the other seasonings … I also reduced the stock to 4 cups, and the broth was [the] perfect consistency. The soup was delicious the first day, but even better on day two.
Sadie
Turmeric Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large (9 oz) yellow onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
- Pinch of salt plus 1 teaspoon, divided, plus more if needed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, plus more if desired
- 5 cups store-bought or homemade vegetable broth, plus more if needed
- 1 cup (7 oz) green lentils
- One (15-ounce) can black beans, including the liquid
- One (15-ounce) can cannellini beans , including the liquid
- Fresh parsley leaves (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine olive oil, onion, garlic, ginger, and a pinch of salt. Cook until onions are soft and have begun to caramelize, about 10 minutes.
- Add turmeric and cardamom, stir, and let cook for 1 minute. Pour in vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low.
- Add lentils and cook until they have begun to soften and are almost ready to eat, 15 to 20 minutes. If you like your lentils softer, cook a few minutes more.
- Stir in black and cannellini beans. Taste, add salt, if needed. Add a bit more cardamom if you want a stronger flavor. If the soup is thicker than you prefer, thin with additional vegetable broth.
- Cook for 1 minute more. Garnish with parsley leaves, if using, and serve.
Notes
Can I freeze turmeric bean soup?
This turmeric bean soup freezes exceptionally well. After step 4, allow the soup to cool, then divide between freezer-safe bags or containers and stash in the freezer. When ready to enjoy, either thaw in the fridge overnight or cook directly from frozen over low heat. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Did you know only 68% of the recipes we test make it onto the site? This recipe survived our rigorous blind testing process by multiple home cooks. It earned the Leite’s Culinaria stamp of approval—and the testers’ reviews below prove it.
Turmeric bean soup is warm, cozy, and filling and this trifecta of beans is a hearty option for cooler days. A few minutes of prep work, simmering for just under half an hour, and the soup was served. I was a little nervous to add more cardamom but decided to increase it by 1/8 teaspoon and was glad I did. I’ll be storing the next batch in the freezer to have on hand for busy days.
This hearty turmeric bean soup is the perfect addition to any meal during the upcoming fall and winter seasons. The highlight of this recipe was how well the warm notes of the ginger and aromatic spices complement the hearty beans, and I look forward to making this dish for friends and family again with minor adjustments.
Adding the liquid from the cans of beans resulted in a very thick, stew-like final product. For future iterations, I’d rinse the beans before adding them to the pot and increase the volume of vegetable broth to 6 cups, so that the final product has a thinner consistency.
Excellent! With minimal prep, no puréeing, and using pantry ingredients, soup doesn’t get much easier or quicker to make than this.
I used lentils that I’d previously cooked and frozen, rinsed the canned beans, added dried coriander and mustard seed, and used a heavier hand with the other seasonings, especially the turmeric.
I also reduced the stock to 4 cups, and the broth was a perfect consistency. The soup was delicious the first day, but even better on day two.
Sadie, are you kidding me? You just made my day. I love how practical your tweaks are—using previously cooked-and-frozen lentils is such a smart future-you move, and rinsing the beans while dialing up the spices is exactly how a pantry soup becomes your pantry soup. And reducing the stock to 4 cups is a great help to other cooks. If you’re a turmeric fan, have you seen these: Turmeric Lemonade, Turmeric Shrimp Linguine, and Orecchiette with Chickpeas, Turmeric, and Greens?
This was a simple recipe but pacts a hearty and flavorful punch. I really enjoyed cooking this recipe. Some items were not available in stores, so I had to deviate a little from the recipe. Instead of cannellini beans I used a can of Organic Great Northern Beans, 4 cups of vegetable broth, and dried parsley flakes. The modifications did not hinder the taste at all. I would make this again with the cannellini and more vegetable broth for a thinner soup. The ginger went so well with the cardamom. Thanks.
You’re welcome, Sydney. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment.