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Sweet Potato Soup with Lentils is a hearty, filling vegan soup that will warm you up this fall and winter. Vegetables, lentils, sweet potatoes and spices and simmered to create the perfect soup to pair with a crust piece of bread! This soup also freezes well for later.
SWEET POTATO SOUP WITH LENTILS
The weather is getting cooler and I have soups on rotation in my house. Soup season is the best season.
Lentil soups are one of my favorites to make and great for weekly meal prep. They are one of my favorite comfort foods and it is also a very hearty soup.
I love a good red lentil soup recipe like this Moroccan Carrot Red Lentil Soup, Moroccan Red Lentil Soup, Lebanese Lentil Soup and this Slow Cooker Lentil Soup.
Today’s Sweet Potato Soup with Lentils is another great lentil soup recipe to add to the rotation in the winter months.
This soup has a lot to love – it is vegan, filling, healthy and makes great leftovers. I like to make a big batch and use it for leftovers. In fact, I think it tastes better the next day when the spices really meld together. As we head into winter I like to make a few batches of these types of soups and freeze some for later.
It makes an easy dinner that you can pull out during the week when you are in a pinch!
Why You Will Love This Soup
This soup is a vegan lentil soup, gluten-free and protein packed. It offers you a good dose of vitamins from the carrots, spinach, spices and the lentils.
I also love that this soup freezes so well. Make a big batch of it and save half for later. Portion it out so you can pull it out when you need a healthy lunch option.
A tip before freezing: allow the soup to cool to room temperature, then put it in an airtight container, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you are ready to eat it let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight. Then when you are ready to eat it, warm it up on the stove over low heat until it is warmed through.
Recipe Ingredients:
This soup uses simple ingredients that you might have in your pantry:
- Vegetables: This soup uses onion, carrots, celery, spinach and diced tomatoes. It is packed with healthy vegetables which can of course be modified to your liking.
- Spices: I really like the spice mixture in this soup. It uses dried oregano, thyme and cumin. If you like a hit of spice add crushed red pepper or cayenne red pepper.
- Broth: I like to use a vegetable broth or a vegetable stock to keep the soup vegan but if you prefer to use chicken broth or chicken stock you easily can do that. Try my homemade chicken broth.
- Lentils: Aside from the sweet potatoes the red lentils or brown lentils are the star of the show. I love lentil soups because of how hearty they are and keep you feeling full.
- Sweet Potato: The sweet potato works so nicely in this hearty winter soup. Make sure to peel it and cube it evenly. I suggest trying to make small pieces so they cook and become soft when the lentils are done cooking.
How Do You Make Sweet Potato Lentil Soup?
Step 1. Saute Vegetables: In a large pot or large saucepan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the carrot and celery and continue to saute for another 4 minutes.
Step 2. Add the Spices: Add the paprika, oregano, cumin, thyme, salt and pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes or until the spices bloom and are fragrant
Step 3. Add Other Ingredients: Add the diced tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, lentils and sweet potatoes and stir well.
Step 4. Simmer Soup: Turn the heat to medium heat and bring the soup to a low simmer and let simmer for another 30 minutes or until the lentils and the sweet potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
Step 5. Puree: If you want the soup to be thinner you can puree half with an immersion blender.
Step 6. Stir in Spinach: Stir in the spinach and fresh parsley and let the spinach wilt about 3-4 minutes. Serve warm with a squeeze of lemon and red pepper flakes.
Tips for Modifying This Lentil Sweet Potato Soup
- Beans: Try adding beans to accompany the lentils in this soup. Two options I love to use are chickpeas or white beans.
- Lentils: You can use different types of lentils lentils. Try red lentils, brown lentils, green lentils or yellow lentils.
- Vegetables: You can add additional vegetables to this soup too. Some options are bell peppers, cauliflower, jalapeños for spice, zucchini, or potatoes.
- Spices: Try adding in your favorite spices like add chili powder, garam masala, yellow curry powder, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper or dill
- Grain: Sometimes I like to add a grain to my soups. You can try brown rice, white rice or quinoa.
- Meat: If you want to add meat to your soup try adding sausage, diced chicken, ground pork or even some crispy bacon.
- Thickening: You can use tomato paste to help thicken this soup.
- Citrus: You can add citrus to the soup to add a brightness and citrus flavor. Try lime juice or lemon juice.
- Garnish: Garnishes are always a great way to take a soup to the next level. Some garnishes I love in this lentil soup is feta cheese {of course the soup won’t be vegan if you use feta}, fresh cilantro and parsley, Greek or plain yogurt swirled in to create a thicker, creamier soup.
Recipe FAQ
Red lentils are my favorite option ins oup because they break down into a creamy texture and create a thick soup. You also can use green or brown lentils which will result in a chunkier texture.
To create a creamier soup you can stir in coconut milk, heavy cream, or even Greek yogurt for richness. Remember if you use Greek yogurt or cream it wont’ be vegan. You also can blend a portion of the soup with a blender or immersion blender to create a creamy texture.
Store this soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
To reheat this soup you can heat it on the stove slowly or you can microwave the soup.
This soup is freezer-friendly. Let it cool completely before putting it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Sides to Serve With This Soup:
- Lemon Arugula Salad
- Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables
- Mediterranean Bean Salad
- Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower
- Cheesy Zucchini Fritters
- Lemon Pearl Couscous
Other Soups You Might Like:
- WHITE BEAN SOUP
- INSTANT POT BEEF STEW RECIPE
- INSTANT POT BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
- TORTELLINI SAUSAGE SOUP
- ZESTY BEAN POSOLE SOUP
- CREAMY CAULIFLOWER SOUP
If you try it, please leave me a star rating and comment below, and follow me on Instagram @acedarspoon for more delicious recipes!
Sweet Potato Soup with Lentils
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion,, diced
- 3 garlic cloves,, minced
- 2 carrots,, peeled and diced
- 2 celery ribs,, diced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1- 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes, {you could sub in fire roasted diced tomatoes}
- 6 cups of vegetable broth or vegetable stock
- 3 whole bay leaves
- 1 cup dry red, {or brown lentils}, rinsed and picked through
- 1 large sweet potato,, peeled and cubed into small cubes
- 1 cup fresh spinach,, packed
- 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat.
- Add the sweet onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add the carrot and celery and continue to saute for another 4 minutes.
- Add the paprika, oregano, cumin, thyme, salt and pepper and saute for another 3-4 minutes or until the spices bloom and become fragrant.
- Add the diced tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, lentils and sweet potato and stir well. Bring the stew to a low simmer and let simmer for another 30 minutes or until the lentils and sweet potato become tender, stirring occasionally.
- If you want some of the soup to be thinner you can pull half of it out and use an immersion blender to make half of the soup thinner and pour it back in.
- Stir in the spinach and fresh parsley and let the spinach wilt which takes about 3-4 minutes.
- Serve the soup warm with extra fresh parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, a lemon wedge and feta cheese or Greek yogurt {for non-vegan version}.
Notes
- Leftovers will keep well for about 4 days in the refrigerator, or can be frozen for several months in an airtight container.
I LOVED this soup. It was delicious and very healthy. I made it with chicken broth. The only tweaks I made when I doubled the recipe were: adding 1/2 tsp Cayenne for heat and adding more spinach. I used about 8 oz of a 10 oz box to boost the nutrition. I added some zucchini as well. I loved using red lentils. And yes, they cook very quickly, so next time I will add them about 5-10 minutes after adding the sweet potatoes. Thank you for this awesome recipe!!
Thanks for the ideas- I love those. I will have to try them! Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
It states at the top of a recipe it’s soup but throughout the instructions it says stew? Which is it ? What is the difference
Could I make this in a crock pot? If so, how would I convert the recipe? Thanks!
Yes! I would just add everything into the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or until the lentils are soft or on high for 4 to 5 hours. You will want to cut the sweet potatoes into small chunks so they get soft. Let me know how it goes.
We’re loving all of your recipes that I’ve tried so far!
Question about this recipe: instructions say sauté the onion and garlic, but the recipe doesn’t list garlic. So how many cloves do you suggest?
Sorry! I think 2-3 cloves minced is great but it can be left out if you don’t like garlic!
@Julia, thank you for replying so quickly. We love garlic…..
Good! It will help add flavor!
This turned out great! I impressed myself 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
I am so glad you enjoyed it!
@Julia, Are we to use fresh bay leaves? The reason I ask is most recipes I’ve made that use bay leaves, say to remove bay leaves before eating because they’re dried and not edible.
Thanks, Patricia
Yes it should say to remove the dried bay leaf. Thanks!