Golden Turmeric Chicken Soup (Printable)

A golden, fragrant soup with turmeric, chicken, and aromatic spices for soothing nourishment.

# What You Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 1.1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 medium carrots, sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
07 - 1 cup baby spinach or kale leaves

→ Broth & Liquids

08 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
10 - Juice of 1 lemon

→ Spices & Seasonings

11 - 1.5 teaspoons ground turmeric
12 - 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
13 - 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
14 - 0.5 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
15 - 0.25 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

→ Herbs

16 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Add minced garlic and grated ginger, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in turmeric, cumin, black pepper, and salt. Cook for 30 seconds to release spice aromatics.
04 - Add chicken pieces and sauté for 2-3 minutes until just opaque on the exterior.
05 - Pour in chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
06 - Add spinach or kale and simmer for 5 additional minutes until wilted and chicken is fully cooked through.
07 - Stir in lemon juice and adjust seasoning as needed.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like warmth and actually makes you feel better, which sounds too good to be true but genuinely works.
  • The whole thing comes together in under an hour, and your kitchen smells incredible the entire time.
  • You can throw it together on a chaotic weeknight or let it simmer while you handle other things.
02 -
  • Never skip blooming your spices in the oil—this one step transforms ground turmeric from tasting flat and slightly bitter into something warm and complex that feels healing.
  • If you use store-bought broth that's already quite salty, reduce the added sea salt by half and taste as you go, because there's nothing worse than oversalted soup that can't be fixed.
03 -
  • Buy your turmeric from a place with good turnover because it loses potency over time, and fresh turmeric makes an enormous difference in both flavor and actual health benefits.
  • If someone you're cooking for is sensitive to spice, reduce the turmeric to 1 teaspoon and skip the red pepper flakes entirely, then let people adjust their own bowls rather than making it too mild for everyone.
Go Back