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Sweet Potato Red Lentil Soup

This easy curried Sweet Potato Red Lentil Soup recipe is made with simple ingredients and incorporates aromatics and spices that can quickly transform bland ingredients into a flavourful dish!

A bowl of Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup served with a wedge of lemon.

This Sweet Potato Red Lentil Soup is a healthy and low-calorie soup that is perfect for a simple lunch or weeknight dinner. This soup is made extra flavourful with the addition of curry and is as comforting as it is delicious.

Bowl of Sweet Potato Red Lentil Soup topped with a dollop of yogurt.

How to Make it

This is a great recipe to make when you are pressed for time since this delicious soup comes together quickly. In fact, once you've prepared the main ingredients, this sweet potato and lentil soup can be ready in just about 30 minutes.

And you don't need an instant pot or pressure cooker to do so. By using split red lentils instead of brown or green lentils, you can reduce the amount of cooking time significantly.

To make this hearty soup extra flavourful, I use aromatic ingredients and spices such as garlic, onions, ginger and curry, all of which complement sweet potatoes and lentils.

Here's an overview of the ingredients needed to make this soup recipe. You can see the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.

Ingredients Overview:

  • Olive oil and butter
  • Onion, garlic and fresh ginger
  • Sweet potato 
  • Split* red lentils 
  • Chicken broth: For a vegetarian soup, use vegetable broth.
  • Curry powder: Hot or mild.
  • Ground turmeric
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste. A pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes can also be added to make the soup spicier.
  • Fresh lemon juice or lime juice: Adding a squeeze of lemon juice really perks up the flavors.
  • Yogurt or sour cream, optional (for topping)

Steps Overview:

Once you've gathered and prepped your ingredients, you'll want to start by cooking the aromatics in a large pot on your stove top so you can build the flavour base of your soup.

Then you'll add the broth, lentils and sweet potatoes. Let the soup simmer over medium-low heat until the ingredients are tender, adjust the seasonings to your liking and the soup is ready.

You can leave the soup chunky or or for a more creamy texture, purée all or part of it in the blender or by using an immersion blender.

Two bowls of pureed curried sweet potato and lentil soup.

Recipe Variations

  • You can also make this sweet potato soup in a slow cooker. For the best flavour, cook the aromatics on the stovetop before adding them to your slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for about 8 hours or on high for 5 hours or until the lentils are cooked.
  • Depending on the level of heat you like, you can choose a mild or spicy curry.
  • Make this sweet potato soup vegan by substituting the butter with coconut oil or another oil and using vegetable broth.
  • Make this sweet potato lentil soup creamier by adding coconut milk. To do so, reduce the amount of broth by about one cup and add one cup of creamy coconut milk.
  • Serve the soup chunky or purée part or all of it for a creamier texture.Save
Close-up of a bowl of sweet potato red lentil Soup with a swirl of yogurt.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve this soup with a wedge of lemon or lime and a dollop of yogurt or sour cream. A sprinkling of fresh cilantro would also make a great addition. You can also serve it with some hearty bread for a more filling and comforting meal.

If you like red lentil soups you will want to take a look at this delicious Red Lentil and Cauliflower Soup and this Lebanese Red Lentil Soup.

Storage Instructions

Leftover puréed sweet potato and lentil soup can be frozen for later consumption. Simply cool the soup entirely before storing it in a freezer container and freezing. If the soup separates after thawing, simply blend the soup in your blender to get it back to a creamy consistency.

Enjoy!

More Cozy Soups to Try

Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup

Sweet Potato Red Lentil Soup

Make this healthy low-calorie Sweet Potato Red Lentil Soup for a quick and easy flavourful meal that is comforting and delicious!
4.89 from 9 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 as a starter, 2 as main
Calories 238 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. butter or coconut oil
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 1 clove medium garlic minced
  • 1 inch piece fresh ginger grated
  • 1 sweet potato peeled and chopped
  • ½ cup split* red lentils rinsed
  • 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp. curry powder hot or mild
  • ½ tsp. ground turmeric
  • sea salt and pepper to taste Add a pinch of cayenne for a spicier soup
  • 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juicer lime juice more to liking
  • yogourt or sour cream for topping optional
  • fresh cilantro optional

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add onion and cook stirring a few times until they begin to get translucent, add the minced garlic and grated ginger, cook stirring until softened, about a couple of minutes.
  • Add the curry and turmeric and cook stirring until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Add the chicken (or vegetable) broth, the red lentils and the chopped sweet potato. If you are also using coconut milk, add it here.
  • Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer and simmer the soup for approximately 15 minutes, stirring now and then so the lentils don’t stick to the  bottom of saucepan.
  • When the sweet potato and lentils are tender, add 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
  • You can either keep the soup chunky or using a stick blender you can purée part of the soup or all of it if you prefer a creamier texture. You can also transfer the soup in batches to a blender and purée until smooth. Pour the soup back into the saucepan and adjust the seasonings and consistency of the soup with more broth or water.
  • Garnish the soup with a dollop of yogourt and serve with lemon wedges (optional).

Notes

  1. You can use regular red lentils for this soup but they take twice as long to cook as split lentils.
  2. Make this soup vegan by using only oil to cook the aromatics in and vegetable broth for the soup.
  3. If you're adding coconut milk to this soup, reduce the amount of broth by the same amount of coconut milk you are going to use (one regular sized can contains about 400 ml). You could always add more broth to thin out the soup if you find it too thick.

Nutrition

Calories: 238kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 13gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 155mgPotassium: 684mgFiber: 8gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 4795IUVitamin C: 56.2mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 3mg
Keyword Curried Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup, Red Lentil Soup, Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup, Sweet Potato Red Lentil Soup, Sweet Potato Soup
Tried this recipe? Have any questions, comments or suggestions? Leave a comment below!Mention @sweetandsavourypursuits or tag #sweetandsavourypursuits!
4.89 from 9 votes (8 ratings without comment)
Recipe Rating




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Julie

Sunday 16th of January 2022

Made this last night and my family really enjoyed it. I increased quantity of red lentils to 3/4 of a cup. I wanted an especially thick, hearty pureed soup because my husband just had dental surgery. This was a winner. Thank you.

Fida | Sweet and Savoury Pursuits

Sunday 16th of January 2022

So happy that you enjoyed the soup! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know ☺️.

Karen

Friday 6th of May 2016

It doesn't have to be cold to enjoy a good soup and this one certainly sounds great.

Lynz Real Cooking

Wednesday 4th of May 2016

This sounds marvelous!

Sweet and Savoury Pursuits

Friday 6th of May 2016

Thank you Lynz!

Louise Crosby

Tuesday 3rd of May 2016

Yum, this looks so healthy and so pretty, I love the colour. I also love how quickly it comes together. Another winning recipe, Fida!

Sweet and Savoury Pursuits

Friday 6th of May 2016

Thanks so much Louise!

C.M.

Monday 2nd of May 2016

Made this soup last night, it was delicious!

Sweet and Savoury Pursuits

Friday 6th of May 2016

That's wonderful, glad to hear that you enjoyed it!

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