5 Recipes Using Turmeric To Fight Inflammation
Looking for anti inflammatory recipes with turmeric? These five nourishing recipes, from soups to smoothies, are easy to make and enjoy.
Did you know that your spice drawer (or cabinet) offers potent health benefits? It makes sense, for such a small amount of seasoning, they provide a ton of flavor. Standout spices for health include ground ginger, cumin, garlic and specifically for this post, turmeric.
Jarred turmeric powder is ground from a root and contains curcumin, the substance that offers potent anti-inflammatory properties. You can take isolated curcumin as a supplement, but cooking with turmeric adds a health boost to nourishing recipes. It has an earthy flavor and vibrant color that pairs well with sweeter root vegetables and coconut.
I’m sharing five recipes below that highlight turmeric powder. These anti inflammatory recipes are made with nourishing ingredients that work synergistically with the spice to get powerful health and inflammation-fighting benefits.
Cooking with Turmeric
Boost Absorption
Turmeric is one of those popular and buzzy anti inflammatory foods. Specifically, curcumin is the anti-inflammatory substance within turmeric. Though, you might be surprised to learn that it’s difficult to absorb curcumin by eating it. When you pair it with black pepper, it can boost the absorption (aka bioavailability) of curcumin and the health benefits of eating turmeric. If you’re cooking with turmeric and want to maximize the health benefits, add some black pepper, even if the recipe doesn’t call for it. Here’s a Healthline article if you’d like to learn more.
What foods Pair Best With Turmeric
I personally enjoy turmeric in soups and with ingredients that have a bit of sweetness. This is why it tastes great added to golden milk with a little honey and sweet root vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes. It also pairs really well with beans like lentils and chickpeas, and recipes using coconut milk.
Heating Turmeric
To retain as many health benefits as possible, it helps to cook turmeric at lower temperatures. This study showed that curcumin retained some anti inflammatory properties after heating, and more were retained after boiling compared to roasting (higher temperature). For this reason, I’m including recipes that use simmering as a cooking method as opposed to sautéing or roasting.
Turmeric Recipes
Glowing Spiced Lentil Soup
I love this recipe because it’s so easy, nourishing and warming. It’s an easy weeknight dinner or meal prep option without a ton of ingredients to prep. It’s a mix of red lentils, spices that include turmeric, onion, garlic, spinach and coconut milk. The only adjustment I’d make is using chicken bone broth over vegetable stock for a nutrient and protein boost.
Spiced Red Lentil and Root Vegetable Soup
I’ve shared this recipe before because it’s so flavorful! She simmers red lentils and root vegetables with curry powder, turmeric, coconut milk and broth, then blends it all up for a thick and smooth soup. It pairs well with roasted proteins like salmon, chicken and shrimp or for a lazy dinner, whole wheat pita. This freezes really well, so it’s a great batch recipe to prep for future weeks.
Garlic Turmeric Rice
This recipe is a great side dish and would pair so well with a variety of proteins and veggies. The yellow color is really vibrant too. The recipe blends basmati rice (I use brown basmati- it will take a bit longer to cook) with onion, garlic, turmeric, and stock (I’d mix some bone broth in if you have it). If you prep this ahead for an easy weeknight side dish, you can reheat in the microwave with an ice cube on top (it somehow works so well!). This would be especially great for a Mediterranean or Greek style bowl with shredded chicken or chicken meatballs or a sheet pan meal with roasted vegetables and chicken or shrimp.
Golden Chai Mix for Turmeric Chai Latte
Golden milk lattes are a popular wellness drink and I love that this is a flavorful spiced chai version. You can make a jar of it to keep on hand and easily have a mid afternoon anti inflammatory pick me up. It would be great mixed up with oat milk, almond milk or coconut milk. And of course you could steep some tea of your choice with the spice blend in hot water. I made an iced vanilla protein shake with this mix and it was a great snack! My personal preference was to reduce the turmeric a bit so the other spices were stronger.
Creamy Tropical Turmeric Smoothie
This is such a simple recipe for an anti inflammatory energy boost. You could add protein powder to make it more of a meal too. If you want to add a vegetable, you could add a bit of cauliflower (frozen cauli rice is great) to retain the color. Spinach is more flavor neutral to add to smoothies, but the color wouldn’t be nearly as appetizing.
Who knew fighting inflammation can be so tasty? Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried any of these recipes, or if you have a go-to turmeric recipe to share!