This delicious sweet potato lentil soup is perfect for fall and winter. Cozy and nourishing, this one-pot recipe has a cooking time of just 30 minutes.
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Aromatic and silky smooth in texture, this soup boasts 11 delicious ingredients that come together to create a deliciously subtle flavor that's addictive. Three vibrant toppings add a beautiful pop of color and some texture to the soup.
While the recipe may sound complicated, it's far from it. The ingredients are easy to source, the prep is nothing more than some slicing and dicing, and the actual cooking is just a slow simmer with a swift blend at the end.
A lighter, vegetarian version of my chicken mulligatawny soup and my Khow Suey (Pakistani curried noodles), a lot less spicy than my hot and sour soup recipe or my south Indian tomato rasam recipe and far less boring than my chicken corn soup recipe, you'll definitely want to try this sweet potato lentil soup!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- A great meal prep option - This sweet potato lentil soup recipe is freezer-friendly. During fall and winter, I double the recipe and freeze the soup in portions using my Souper Cubes Freezing Trays.
- Make ahead recipe - The soup has a fridge life of 4-5 days, making it a perfect recipe to make ahead of time if you want to serve it at an event you're hosting.
- Budget-friendly - With primarily fresh, seasonal produce on the list of ingredients, this soup is an affordable recipe.
- Dairy-free - This soup has all the taste and texture of a cream-based soup without an ounce of dairy.
- Versatile recipe - Make it a delicious appetizer for some oven-baked seekh kebab, a side dish for tandoori grilled lamb chops, or a vegetarian main with warm crusty bread to dip in! It tastes wonderful however you serve it.
Ingredient notes
- Chicken Stock - I usually stick to homemade chicken broth for the base of this sweet potato lentil soup. This way, I get all the nutritional benefits of chicken soup, which is a huge plus during flu season. I use store-bought stock if I'm in a hurry or need to make vegetarian soup.
- Sweet potatoes - Cooked sweet potatoes are absolutely delicious in a soup form. The taste and texture are the perfect foundation upon which to start building layers of flavor.
- Red lentils are easy to digest, high in protein, and one of the mildest tasting of all lentils. They help add fiber, thicken the soup, and keep it from being too sweet.
- Granny Smith apples - The slightly sour taste of the Granny Smith apples helps balance the taste of the sweet potatoes and red lentils.
- Leeks - I chose leeks versus onions due to their mild and delicate taste. I felt that onions would be too harsh and likely to overpower the other ingredients.
- The spices - A generous use of salt and a little heat from 2 different peppers gives a nice kick to the soup. It's far from spicy; you definitely won't need to adjust these amounts, but it has a well-rounded and balanced flavor due to these spices.
- Lemongrass - Possibly my favorite addition, I slice a lemongrass stalk lengthwise and drop it in the soup as it cooks. It releases essential oils that smell amazing, and you don't want to skip this ingredient.
- Coconut milk - The final ingredient, coconut milk, gives the soup a velvety texture, a delicious taste, and the final perfect touch to the overall aroma.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
- Make it diet-friendly - Use vegetable broth to make the soup fit a vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free diet.
- Add in other vegetables - Add more vegetables for added fiber; pumpkin, carrots, and seasonal squashes are some great options.
- Blend ½ the soup and leave ½ chunky - If you want more texture, separate the soup into two portions and puree only half. Then mix the two and serve.
- Try different toppings - Switch up the toppings. Try store-bought chili or harissa oil, pumpkin seeds, sour cream, chives, chili flakes, or a dash of cayenne.
- Make it low-calorie - Use light coconut milk for a low-calorie soup version.
Step-by-step instructions
- First step - Peel and chop the sweet potatoes, apples, and leeks; cut the lemongrass stalk into three long pieces, slice each piece lengthwise, and add to the pot along with the garlic cloves, broth, salt, black pepper, and paprika, and turn the stove on high.
- Second step - Once the mixture reaches a boil, turn the heat to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
- Third step - All the ingredients should be fork-tender by the end of this time.
- Fourth step - Turn the stove off, and take the lemongrass out as It's too stringy to eat.
- Fifth step - Puree the rest of the ingredients using an immersion or regular blender until you have a silky texture.
- Sixth step - Add in the entire can of coconut milk and turn the stove on medium.
- Seventh step - Stir to mix the coconut milk as the soup heats.
- Eighth step - Adjust the seasoning to your taste and bring the soup to a gentle simmer.
- Ninth step - Turn the stove off once the soup reaches a gentle boil and becomes a light, uniform color. Garnish and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Pick the right potatoes - You want to pick sweet, less starchy, and creamy potatoes. For this, make sure to choose small to medium potatoes that are firm and smooth with no cuts or cracks. The skin should be red and the flesh orange.
- Cook the vegetables till fork-tender - If you want a creamy and silky soup, cook them till they're fork-tender. Otherwise, the immersion blender or regular blender may not be able to blend them thoroughly.
- Always cool to room temperature - Make sure to cool the soup to room temperature before you store it to prevent bacterial growth.
Recipe FAQS
Can I try cooking this soup with other lentils?
Sure! You can use other lentils for this soup. However, if you choose to go with brown or green lentils, you'll have to allow for an extra 10-15 minutes of cooking time and be prepared for a slight difference in the texture of the soup.
Can I use canned lentils to cook this soup?
Yes, you can use canned lentils, which are pre-cooked. But in this case, reduce the quantity of the broth you're adding by 2 cups (16 ounces) and add in the lentils just before you puree the soup in the blender.
How do I store my leftover soup?
The cooked soup can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days or frozen for 3-6 months. For best results, defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stove in a saucepan, adding ¼ cup water.
Other recipes you may like
For more Pakistani recipes like this, check out 20 popular Pakistani recipes. If you decide to try this recipe, Please don't forget to leave a rating and comment below! If you take a picture then tag me on Instagram! Thank You!
Sweet Potato lentil Soup
This sweet potato lentil soup is a cozy and nutritious, easy-to-prepare, one-pot, budget-friendly recipe that takes just 30 minutes to cook.
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Ingredients
- 2 cups diced sweet potatoes
- ½ cup red lentils (masoor dal)
- 1 cup diced granny smith apples (see notes)
- 2 chopped leeks (see notes)
- 1 stalk lemongrass (see notes)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 32 oz chicken broth (see notes)
- 2 teaspoon salt (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (see notes)
- 1 can 14 oz coconut milk (see notes)
Garnish
- 6 teaspoon chili oil
- 6 teaspoon toasted pistachios
- 6 teaspoon pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- Peel and chop the sweet potatoes, apples, and leeks; measure and add to your cooking pot(see notes).
- Cut the lemongrass stalk into two long pieces, slice each piece lengthwise, and add to the pot along with the garlic cloves(see notes).
- Add the broth, salt, black pepper, and paprika, and turn the stove on high heat.
- Once the mixture reaches a boil, turn the heat to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
- Turn the stove off, take the lemongrass out as It's too stringy to eat, and puree the rest of the ingredients using an immersion or regular blender(see notes).
- Add the coconut milk, mix well, and adjust the seasoning to your taste if needed.
- Bring to a gentle boil, turn the stove off, and serve.
Garnish
- Add 1 teaspoon red chili flakes, 1 teaspoon red chili powder, and 1 teaspoon paprika to ⅓ cup of a good quality finishing olive oil. Let it sit on the counter for at least 2 hours for the flavors to infuse, and then use it to garnish.
- Roughly chop some salted pistachios and then lightly dry toast them in a non-stick frying pan. Cool completely and then use to garnish.
- Deseed a pomegranate or buy POM Pomegranate arils and use as a garnish.
Notes
Granny Smith apples - I like to keep the skin on my apples. As always, the skin adds to the nutritional value of fruit and vegetables, and if it's edible, I like to add it to my recipe. I slice my apples into thin slices and then chop them to ensure they get cooked enough to be blended properly. I measured these after chopping them and used roughly one large or 1.5 medium apple for the 1 cup.
Leeks - These are an amazing add-in to any soup. The mildest of the onion family, they add subtle flavor. The green stalks are stringy, so discard those and then slice the white and light green parts into thin circles. The leeks will almost melt into the soup during the cooking, and once the soup is pureed, they will add to the velvety texture.
Lemongrass - I buy my lemongrass from my local grocery store, where it comes in a small package and is 3-4 inches long. Fresh lemongrass is available at Asian grocery stores but in many large stalks. These are difficult to cut, and I don't typically need such a huge quantity, so the smaller amount is perfect for this recipe. I split the 4-inch stalk in half and cut it lengthwise for maximum flavor. Due to its tough texture, I use it as an aromatic and don't blend it into the soup. Make sure to remove the cooked stalks just before blending your cooked mixture.
Chicken broth - I use homemade broth for maximum flavor and health benefits, but when in a rush, storebought broth works. Vegetable broth is also a great option for those with dietary restrictions.
Salt - I've used salt generously in this recipe, as it seemed to work well with so many sweet ingredients. If you prefer less salt in your food, start with one teaspoon and add more if needed.
Paprika - The paprika I used in this recipe is a smoked pimenton paprika from Burlap and Barrel. It tastes amazing in this soup but is not essential. Any smoked paprika will work.
Coconut milk - I use full-fat coconut milk for a rich and creamy texture. You can use a light version for a lower-calorie soup.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 257kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 4gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 1376mgPotassium: 447mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 6891IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 3mg
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