Red lentils are a great choice for soups since they fall apart during cooking and take on a smooth, silky texture with big flavor.
By Lauren Kretzer
There are days when I desperately want something deeply satisfying and healthy for dinner that won’t take an entire evening to prepare. Enter this red lentil and sweet potato soup, which contains two of the most nutrient rich foods on the planet and takes a mere 40 minutes to prepare from start to finish. If that doesn’t entice you to make this soup on a regular basis, the intoxicating aroma that fills your kitchen when all of the ingredients swirl together certainly will. 
If you’ve never cooked with red lentils before, be sure to rinse them and pick through for any small stones or debris. Red lentils are a great choice for soups since they fall apart during cooking and take on a smooth, silky texture with big flavor. The addition of sweet potatoes makes for a heartier soup, perfect for beckoning in cooler autumn nights.
PrintSpicy Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
A hearty, simple, comforting soup that just so happens to be good for you.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 sweet potato, chopped in roughly 1/2″ pieces
- 2 small carrots, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (omit if you want to keep the heat mild)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed
- 6 cups vegetable stock or water
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, garlic, and onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes and then add garam masala, turmeric, curry powder, cardamom seeds, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir until vegetables are completely coated with spices. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add vegetable stock/water and lentils and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve hot.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
Yum
Ten times better than I expected this to be, and I had high hopes. Restaurant quality in 45 minutes! I did cut down on the salt and was generous with the spices, but otherwise followed this recipe exactly. I will make this frequently! Thank you!!
This was fantastic. I also was generous with the spices. The second time I made it, I added some leftover coconut milk, which added a bit more creaminess. Both ways were delicious.