This Detox Soup recipe is the kind of comforting meal I crave when I need some extra nutrients in my life. It’s so hearty and delicious, I could eat it practically every day!
What Does a Detox Soup Do?
Let’s be clear: You can’t eat something and instantly “detox” your body, but you can take daily actions to naturally support your body’s detox organs, like the liver and kidneys.
This detox soup is a hearty and filling way to squeeze more anti-inflammatory foods into your day, without taking any drastic measures. You don’t have to eat it every day to see results, either, but you can, if you love it!
Here’s what you’ll love about this soup:
- It’s properly combined. Following food combining principles may help to streamline your digestion and reduce bloating, so it can leave you feeling more energized.
- This soup is low in calories. Since this is a broth-based soup, it’s low in calories, but is also loaded with fiber to help keep you feeling full.
- The ingredient list is simple. No need to shop for specialty ingredients! All you need is fresh veggies and herbs, affordable dry lentils, and some spices you probably already have on hand.
This soup recipe is also flexible, so if you don’t have all of the ingredients listed, feel free to swap them for what you do have. Zucchini, green beans, tomatoes, and more, will all be delicious in this soup.
Detox-Friendly Soup Ingredients
Why do I call it a detox soup? I’ve loaded this recipe with detox-friendly ingredients, to give you as much nutrition as possible, while also making it totally delicious.
Here’s what’s inside:
- Garlic. In one 12-week study, a daily garlic supplement was shown to significantly reduce cold symptoms by nearly 70% compared to a placebo group. Other studies suggest that garlic supplementation is also helpful with lowering blood pressure.
- Ginger. Ginger is thought to aid in digestion and reduce bloating, and research suggests that it may also help to lower blood sugar levels.
- Turmeric. Turmeric contains curcumin, which is a powerful antioxidant that is thought to fight inflammation.
- Cilantro. Also known as coriander, this powerful herb may help with removing heavy metals from the body. Research suggests it may also help to improve memory and manage anxiety.
- Lentils. Lentils are rich in polyphenols, which may help to improve blood sugar. Lab tests also suggest that the polyphenols in lentils may help to slow or stop skin cancer growth.
- Lemon. Lemons are a source of vitamin C, providing about 31mg per lemon. (That’s about 51% of the reference daily intake (RDI).) Vitamin C may help to lower the risk of stroke and promote heart health.
Paired with flavorful veggies, including onion, celery, and carrots, this soup makes a delicious meal– one that even my 4-year-old daughter loves! (Although, she does pick out the cilantro pieces.)
How to Make It
The prep work on this detox soup is pretty minimal. Simply chop a few veggies, and you’re ready to start cooking it. I always start with the onions, carrots, and celery so they can start to soften up, then I add in the garlic, ginger, turmeric, and thyme.
Garlic can burn quickly, so you’ll only need to stir the herbs for about 1 minute, until they smell fragrant. Immediately add in the water after that, so nothing will burn.
Add in the lentils and salt, and then bring everything to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a gentle simmer, and cover the pot with a lid.
You’ll want to cook the soup until the lentils are tender, which takes about 30 minutes. (If you add more salt, it can take longer for the lentils to cook, and if you omit the salt all together, they can cook a little faster.)
Once the lentils are tender, season with additional salt, and stir in the cilantro and lemon juice.
The herbs will wilt quickly in the hot soup. Adjust any seasoning to taste, then serve warm.
Ultimate Detox Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 3 carrots , chopped
- 3 celery stalks , chopped
- 5 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 1/2 inches fresh ginger , minced (about 1 heaping tablespoon)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary)
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup dry green or brown lentils
- 2 teaspoons fine Himalayan salt , divided
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup fresh cilantro , chopped
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (or to taste)
Instructions
- In a large pot (I use a 6-quart one), heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in the onion, carrots, and celery, and stir until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the garlic, ginger, turmeric, and thyme, and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Immediately add in the water after that, so the garlic won't start to burn.
- Add in the lentils, 1 teaspoon of salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and let the soup cook until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
- When the lentils are tender, add in the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, along with the cilantro and lemon juice. The cilantro will wilt quickly in the hot soup. Adjust any seasoning to taste, and serve warm.
- Leftover detox soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Need More Detox Recipes?
- Detox Juice
- Classic Detox Smoothie
- Blueberry Detox Smoothie
- The Best Detox Salad
- 2-Ingredient Detox Spaghetti
If you try this Detox Soup recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know how you like it! And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too. We can all benefit from your experience!
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite go-to recipe when you want to feel better fast?
This soup was so fabulous and so easy to make! It will definitely be one of my go-to recipes going forward
I really loved the fragrance of the spices and the taste was great too, It didn’t fill me up as much as some others, I would make it again though for lunch with bread or something else,
Thank you for a tasty Detox soup I will keep.
Totally satisfying and full of flavor. Will surely make it again. The big plus is that my 14 year old liked it! It’s a win!
This is a keeper! It made two big bowls for my husband and me. Since I am a “go ahead and throw it in” kind of cook, I put in a whole onion, the entire bunch of cilantro, and the juice of half of a lemon.My husband on the first bite said this would be the perfect soup for one of those days when feeling under the weather.
This was good. I substituted parsley for cilantro and added a bit more turmeric, pepper and some garlic powder.
This soup is so fresh! Love the lemon and cilantro addition!
Surprisingly delicious despite my prediposed assumption of a “detox” soup. My husband stated that this may be his favorite of the 10-day soup challenge so far as it contrasted differently from the others.
I almost enjoyed making this soup,more than eating it. When I cut up the fresh ginger and smelling the turmeric, I knew this would be the healthiest soup I have ever made.
Knowing how healthy the ingredient are in this soup makes it a go to soup for days when my husband and I need a healthy meal during the flu and cold season to keep our immunity up!
This soup is light and hearty at the same time. Love it!
This soup tastes light, savory, and soothing. We made it with brown lentils and added quite a bit more lemon and enjoyed the tanginess. We made it in the instant pot (10 minutes at high-pressure and then 10 minutes natural release). Another commentor mentioned adding potatoes and I think I will try that next time.
My type of soup. I used Mung beans, my favorite.
Soothing! That is what comes to mind for this soup. Soothing fragrance and flavor. I could see craving this when you want a simple warm “hug”! I’ll add this to my regular menu. Both my husband and I had seconds it was so good!
The flavors in this soup were well balanced. I added a small sprinkle of extra salt by salting the veggies while cooking. I was worried this might not be hearty enough for my husband so I bumped up the amount of lentils. In retrospect, I don’t think that was necessary. We both enjoyed this soup! I served it with a slice of cheese toast, so the meal did not end up as clean as this recipe. I will make again.
We really liked this soup, very good & tasty! Used veggie broth instead of water and added abit off pesto on top. Yummy!
Fabulous for the gut biome. Simple and tasty. Day 5 of our soup challenge. #simplegreensmoothies #10daysoupchallenge
I liked this. It is east to make and is comfort food. Next time, I will try with vegetable stock and pesto.
I enjoyed the flavors and the fiber. I liked that there was plenty to chew. I added the pesto and it really enhanced the flavors.
A simple, yet tasty and hearty soup. Will be made again and again.
This is probably the best lentil soup I’ve ever made. I love all the ingredients. It tastes so bright and fresh.
Easy to make, filling, and delicious!
The Detox soup was good! I enjoy a hearty lentil soup and the ginger-citrus notes made this soup exciting! I added rice and a bit extra water to make make this a meal with a complete protein.
I love a good easy healthy lentil soup, and this is no exception. I made it as is, except for omitting the oil. I recently had a kidney cyst drained, so reading that this supports the kidneys is a bonus.
This came together quickly and I love that it didn’t need long to cook. I added too much ginger which made it spicier than I care for but I’ll time it down with cashew cream. Overall, good flavor.
Easy and quick and delicious. Should just be called lentil soup. I added red cabbage. Loved it and so did my daughter.
Perfect when you are searching for comfort food. All the combinations of spices and lemon juice complemented each other. Making a delicious flavor loved by my young picky eaters.
I am totally eating this soup next time i am sick. This was surprisingly satisfying
Sooo good. Made this soup tonight with corn on the cob and baked blue squash. Perfect meal. Love the ginger in this dish. Everything about this soup is perfect.
Easy to make and very filling.
This was a good light and filling soup. The only addition was scotch bonnet pepper sauce to add spice. Oh, I also followed the suggestions and added salt at the end plus some bouillon paste prior to simmering. Thanks for the recipe. #SC Day 5
So good! Even picky husband liked it. Ate it for lunch and then again for dinner, YUMMY
This was good.
Very good hearty soup with an excellent taste of my favorite vegetables. The cilantro and lemon elevate the flavor. Thanks for great recipes.
Yummy! One of my favourite recipes in the 10-day soup challenge. I love lentils in soup. Very delicious flavour profile. I will make this again.
Great soup, I love how easy it is to make using ingredients I always have on hand.
I love lentil soup and this was a lovely variation of my usual recipe with the turmeric, thyme and ginger. All I know is next time I’ll be making more so I have more leftovers. Delicious! As a side note for others – I never cook with oil – so fine to go WFPB on this one.
The flavor and the aroma… AMAZING!!! Loved, loved, loved this soup. It tastes good and is healthy too. 🙂
I did not make any changes to the recipe, and it turned out perfectly delicious for me! The only thing I would do is that I might add an extra cup of water as the soup thickened a lot. I did replace the broth with water. I will be making this a lot as my family loved it too!
This was very flavorful! I was afraid it would taste too healthy, but it was tasty!
Easy to make, delicious, and filling. Great for a cold day.
tasty and filling. I need a little more spice but I would make this again.
I was surprised to find I really enjoyed this recipe. I’ve never cooked with ginger, a nice flavor. I will make this again.
tasty
This soup was so delicious and filling. It will definitely be making into the rotation.
Very flavorful! I liked this soup.
I diced the veggies pretty small so they would cook faster but.my husband said he would have enjoyed it more if the carrots were sliced larger – note to self! The broth is quite flavorful and the soup is hearty … perfect for a fall dinner.
I loved how simple and delicious it was.
Loved this soup. Wish I had doubled the recipe because my family ate it all. No leftovers!
I thoroughly enjoy making these delicious soups. The receipts are so easy and simple and the nice thing about it we have it for dinner and also have leftovers for lunch the next day. Win, win💛
I love majority of recipes on this website and it was through Detoxinista’s Instagram’s post that I found out about the 10 Day Soup Challenge.
I have made this recipe before but making again for the Soup Challenge. This time it didn’t turn out well. I recently had lentil soup at a restaurant and really enjoyed it, so I had pictured that soup in my mind. However, that had chicken broth and not plant-based so I started with skewed expectation as I had forgotten how this recipe tasted the first time I made it.
This was a fail overall: I used too much ginger: 1 inch knob vs 1 tablespoon and all I could taste was the ginger in this soup. Also I have made a note in the original recipe sheet to reduce the turmeric as it was too strong for me but had forgotten when I followed the recipe in the soup challenge. Unfortunately I have to dump the whole pot as it was too ginger & turmeric heavy. Next time I’ll make it with chicken broth with reduced ginger and turmeric, I’m sure it will be better.
My favorite soup so far! Made mine in the instant pot. Came out perfect. Thank you!