I made this tasty & spicy detox soup last week, because I had lots of leftover broccoli and didn’t know what to do with it. And I needed something detox to fool my mind that I hadn’t eaten any sugar. This broccoli red lentil soup came out delicious and I just had to share it with you.
I know it doesn’t look like broccoli (it’s a yellow soup, after all), but it’s because of turmeric and red lentils (I think!).
I do this often lately – buy broccoli (or any big vegetable) because I know it’s good for me, but then I don’t use it up for weeks. Every day is like: “Detox enzymes in my liver will have to wait, because today I’m eating___”. Fill in the blank.
I always imagine the broccoli sighing when I open the fridge just to take my overnight oats (or something naughty).
Poor broccoli.
And now that I thought about it, it makes me sad that I treat broccoli this way. I’m truly living in my little egocentric world, huh? Broccoli’s probably – “I don’t care, you freak. Don’t touch me!”
Ok. Enough with the crazy talk now.
I don’t know what broccoli is thinking, but I chopped it and boiled it with red lentils and it was delicious.
As for whether or not you’ll like this soup – depends. Do you like broccoli?
If you don’t – don’t expect miracles. I might be able to do 5 burpees in a row, but I can’t make broccoli taste like lasagna. But if you don’t mind, or even like broccoli – you’ll probably love this soup.
This soup is perfect if you’re looking for some light, but very satisfying detox dinner (or lunch). You can adjust the spices to your liking – it wasn’t too spicy for me, but everyone is different.
Also, I don’t use stock for soups. Before you roll your eyes, let me tell you: it works! However, if you feel you’d like to add your vegetable stock to this soup and don’t trust the recipe like this – you can do it. It will probably add even more flavor. With all the spices though – I’m sure you’ll like the recipe like this as well. Last but not least: this soup is great for using up other leftover vegetables, so use this opportunity.
Health and Beauty Benefits
This soup will warm you up and keep you healthy during this cold winter.
It will also provide about 2 portions of vegetables per serving, antioxidants and many anti-inflammatory and detoxifying chemicals you need to stay healthy. Let’s take a look at some of the ingredients’ superpowers:
- broccoli – as mentioned activates detox enzymes in your liver – thus you can get rid of toxins quicker and is rich in beta-carotene (that’s provitamin A), iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium
- turmeric – detoxifying, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and currently super famous;
- garlic – anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, anti-cancer, anti-viral and anti-bacterial;
- lentils – high-quality plant protein, high-fiber and very rich in folate and antioxidants; these help you lose weight, lower cholesterol and help you get rid of toxins in your colon
And that’s just a few of the ingredients. This soup is loaded with detoxifying and anti-inflammatory ingredients…and it is also completely vegan and gluten-free.
Hope you like the lentil broccoli soup!
Broccoli Red Lentil Detox Soup
Delicious detox broccoli red lentil soup that you can make in no time for dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/3 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups broccoli
- 1/2 cup red lentils
- some mint leaves (5-10)
- some cilantro (optional)
- 1 red chili pepper (optional!)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Soak lentils for 30min-1h. Prepare the rest - peel garlic and onion, wash herbs and vegetables and chop broccoli, onion, chili (optional), cilantro (optional), mint leaves.
- In a small cooking pot add 1tbsp olive oil and sautee the garlic and onions at medium-high for about 1 min. Add the spices (turmeric, ginger, cumin and opt. cardamom). Stir and add "a sip" of water, so that the spices don't burn.
- Stir again and add chopped broccoli, lentils, 1/2 tsp salt (approx. I'm still struggling with measuring salt, I usually pinch) and 2-3 cups of water (so that everything is covered).
- Cover everything with the lid and cook for 8-10 min until lentils are tender and everything else is cooked.
- Add the herbs (mint and optionally cilantro). Take off heat.
- With your hand blender blend the soup. I didn't blend all the way through as I like soups chunky. If you'd like - blend all the way through until smooth (won't affect taste, just texture). Add 1 more tbsp olive oil and stir in. Salt to taste, add water if too thick (shouldn't be).
- Optionally: Slice red chilli pepper and add at the end.
- Serve hot and if you'd like top with some hot paprika flakes and cumin.
Notes
March 2026 UPDATE: This is a very popular soup recipe on the blog - people love the original recipe as is. That said, I recently made the soup again, but changed a few small things (as someone mentioned - the recipe is very forgiving). I used curry powder, as I was out of cumin and turmeric, and also added 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger, not the dried. I also added a squeeze of lemon in the end, and I really liked it in there (bonus - helps absorb the iron from the lentils and broccoli). Used 2 cups broccoli (had a lot) and 2 1/2 cups water, salted to taste. Carrot or squash might also be a great addition here for some sweetness. However you make it - I hope you enjoy the soup!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 258Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 174mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 10gSugar: 6gProtein: 9g
More Healthy Soup Recipes
This broccoli soup recipe was originally published in January 2017 and last updated with new photos in March 2026.
Hi there
I’m just reading the recipe and I’m not sure how much broccoli the recipe calls for? I’m assuming 1,5 broccoli is a typo
Hey, the recipe says 1.5 cups, I saw this typo on Pinterest too. But it’s around 1.5 cups broccoli florets, although I used partly stalks as well.
1.5 cups
What is the calorie count per serving?
Ummm – you’re hilarious and I’m so glad pinterest led me to your site!
haha thank you, so happy you found me!
Thanks for this recipe! This hot and nourishing soup is such good medicine for a chilly winter day, with a delicious broth from the spices. I have a lot of broccoli to use up, so I roughly doubled your recipe. I skipped the blending because I generally prefer having little bites of veggies in a spoonful of soup. I am so enjoying this! Thanks again.
That is so great, Chessie! I’m so happy you’re enjoying the soup 🙂
And here it is June, and I am again enjoying a pot of this good soup. I guess it’s good no matter the time of year!
haha thank you Chessie!
Thanks so much for this recipe! is it freezer friendly?
Lucy, I haven’t tried freezing this soup, but I think it should be ok!
Great soup and healthy! Made it a we all loved at at the the table:) I also have a very healthy and tasty lentil soup to share and have a short video on it! Check it out:)
https://youtu.be/gaw_S_3GSi8
Thanks for sharing your recipe:)
GREAT! Love this recipe I used fresh ginger. I will definitely be making this again!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hey, just came across your site for the first (and deffinitely not the least) time and need to ask: Is it necessar to soak the lentils? Especially the red ones are known for the no-need-to-be-soaked feature, so just want to have ut clear 🙂
Hi Millwa, thanks for stopping by! I’m just seeing your comment and hope I’m not THAT late! You don’t need to soak the red lentils, they cook fast. I do it to reduce the amount of anti-nutrients & to absorb more nutrients (esp. protein & iron…) 🙂
If we don’t have a hand blender, do you recommend a different method of blending?
Hey there!
Do you think that canned lentils would work?
Hi Chrissy, yes I think so – you would need even less time cooking
What type of red chili pepper? do you think Fresno would work? and do you slice and then blend it in or just mix in after blending? Thanks! -grace
Hi Grace, any type of hot pepper would do, even dried red pepper flakes would do here. I think I even used this in the pictures. I didn’t blend them in, just sliced and put on top after blending, because not everyone else liked spicy food. So just a personal choice. I hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
I just made this soup and it is delicious! The recipe is very forgiving. I used more broccoli, i used vegetable broth instead of water and i used curry powder in place of cumin. I will be making this on a regular basis! Also i put it in the blender as i like it less chunky.
Happy you enjoyed it Carol, love all the changes you made! Thanks for coming back to comment 🙂
How did you get it to turn out this color?
turmeric
I’m in love with this soup! It’s now my go to work lunch 🙂 I make it in big batches so I can freeze, it’s so easy and lasts me ages! <3
This makes me so happy!
This looks so delicious and unusual! I’m looking forward to trying it.
Could you use regular lentils or any other than red ? Or is there a specific reason for the red ?? Recently started making lentil soups & trying to learn the differences in them . Thank you ! I love broccoli so looking forward to making this ! ?
Hi Jill! I usually cook with red lentils when I want to make something creamier (like a soup and sometimes use them in curries). They cook much quicker than brown lentils and have a mushy-ier texture. You could also use brown lentils here, I’m sure the result will also be good, you might end up with a little more texture. I like to use the brown lentils in wraps like these or also in bowls and salads – they’re very delicious!
Oh my goodness, just made this and it’s delicious! I’m so impressed and can’t wait to make this on a regular basis!
Can you tell me in weight how much a cup and a half of broccoli is please as we don’t measure in cups in the U.K. Thanks
My new favorite soup! Made 2 double batches in the past month….I crave it!
To be honest I didn’t think this recipe would blow me away…but it did! Rarely do I leave comments but if you’re wanting to try a healthy, satisfying soup then this is it. It’s so adaptable too. I’ve already made it twice. First time as written, second time I added to the recipe 2 diced zucchini, a couple handfuls of edamame, (peas would be nice too if you don’t have edamame), extra minced garlic, & red chili flakes. Also, neither time did I puree it. Just keep cooking it until the veggies are to your liking and adding more broth as you go. * both times I used organic chicken broth for the liquid. Its great! Thank you for the recipe.
I am so happy to see this- And the recipe! I have been reading the comments, wondering about adding more veggies for a little more substance and to get the veg count up!
I’ve made a few soups and dishes from online websites and been so disappointed. So I tried this soup b/c it looked so amazing.,
Well, it TASTES amazing too. I LOVE it. I want to see what else you have on this website.
I did use a quart of chicken broth in mine plus 1 1/2 cups water, but that was the only change I made. I will be making this soup every couple of weeks. Thanks for that gorgeous photo, which is why I decided to try it.
BTW, I doubled the recipe, which is why I used twice the liquid.
I absolutely love this soup. And the addition of sliced chili peppers was totally spot on! I just tripled this to eat all week. Freezes well too. Thank you!
So glad you like the soup, thank you fod the feedback about freezing it! I haven’t tried freezing it yet, I always make a small batch.
This soup is so simple and delicious! Even my teen daughters ask for this for lunch. Absolutely guilt free
I made this for the first time recently and loved it. I made it with chicken broth and left out the turmeric because I didn’t have any on hand and it still turned out great. I also added some half and half which made it creamier. It looked and tasted more like cream of broccoli soup.
Thanks for the recipe. This turned out great. i made a few tweaks. I didn’t have mint or cilantro. I chopped some celery, green, and red peppers into the pot to boil. I added some nutritional yeast as well. I didn’t have red chili, but after I blended everything together, I added some red pepper flakes. I will definitely be trying this again
I don’t know how I messed this up because everything I cook usually turns out perfectly. This was extremely watery to the point that I drained water off of it. It’s very underwhelming. Any idea where things went wrong?
I’m sorry the recipe didn’t work out for you! What I can imagine is that you added too much water…The ingredients should just be covered with the water/stock that you used.
It’s also important with this soup to add enough salt – lentils tend to be underwhelming and bland without salt, even if you add spices and herbs.
If you still have the soup you can try adding cooked potatoes or cooked lentils/beans/chickpeas, blend them in and let the soup cook for 5-8 more minutes.
I hope this helps
Made this today and although it looked good it was soooo underwhelmingly bland. I added salt, chilli at the end too but still nada zip no taste. Very disappointed!
This soup is simply delicious & have made it two nights in a row
I love having a pot of nutritious soup in the fridge
I normally make red lentil & sweet potato but this is now my go to.
So simple & delicious and the family love it
Yum yum yum
This was delicious. I didn’t get it pureed. It got eaten. I don’t do cilantro or mint but it was so good I’m doubling the batch and making small portions for the freezer so I can get more nutrition in without daily work.
glad you liked the soup!