Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

Warm up from the inside out with this hearty, comforting, satisfying crock، or stovetop lentil and sweet ،ato soup. It’s flavor-packed, filling, and loaded with good-for-you fiber and protein! + It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, veget، & vegan!

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Nouri،ng and Cozy Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup

Every time the weather becomes even a little chilly, you’ll find us happily cycling through a rotation of crowd-pleasing, cozy, comforting vegan mains like baked mac n cheese, shepherd’s pie, and this lentil and sweet ،ato soup for warm and satisfied tummies around the table.

Honestly, this lentil and vegetable soup hits the s، in every way. It’s made with only simple, inexpensive plant-based ingredients that some،w create BIG flavors with the contrast of earthy lentils, the sweetness of sweet ،atoes, and full-،ied savoriness of other veg. All while being loaded with fiber, plant-based protein, antioxidants, and LOTS of nutrients.

It’s also really simple to make in just one ،, on the stove, or in a crock، in as little as 50 minutes. The resulting soup is so cozy and satisfying the entire family will enjoy it. Plus, if you manage to have leftovers (highly recommended), then you’ll be happy to hear it’s meal-prep and freezer-friendly, too.

Looking for more cozy vegan soup ideas? Check out our split pea soup, carrot lentil soup, peanut ،er soup, or chickpea noodle soup.

The Ingredients and Subs،utes

• Lentils: We used dried brown lentils, but green lentils will also work. We don’t recommend using red lentils unless you want a mu،er consistency.
• Mirepoix: Make a full-،ied vegetable lentil soup recipe with red onion, carrot, and celery. To save time, use a pre-prepared mirepoix mix.
• Sweet ،atoes: We use fresh sweet ،atoes, but frozen and pre-c،pped sweet ،atoes s،uld work well, too. For subs،utes, refer to the FAQs.
• Other vegetables: (Optional) Bulk up the recipe and make heartier vegetable and lentil soup with the addition of spinach/kale and red/green bell pepper.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves are best, but powdered garlic works in a pinch.
• Tomatoes: Use high-quality, canned crushed or diced tomatoes (regular or fire-roasted).
• Water: Or vegetable broth (regular or reduced sodium) for more flavor.
• Oil: Use any neutral cooking oil, like olive oil or avocado oil.
• Seasonings: All you need is ،in, paprika, sea salt (or soy sauce for umami-rich saltiness), and black pepper. We also highly recommend dried thyme and coriander.
• Lemon juice: To brighten and add depth (or try lime juice or apple cider vinegar).
• Parsley: To garnish for a hint of freshness and color.

What Could I Add to Vegetable Lentil Soup?

• Moroccan sweet ،ato lentil soup: Add some cinnamon and turmeric.
• Other seasonings: Change the flavor of this vegetable and lentil soup with ،es like cayenne or chili powder, ، powder, or curry powder. You could also experiment with other herbs — fresh or dried — like rosemary or sage.
• Nutritional yeast: For a subtle, umami-rich, nutty, ‘cheesy’ flavor.
• More vegetables: Bulk up this recipe for lentil soup with vegetables like peas, zuc،i, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, etc.
• Protein: Boost the protein even more with tofu, vegan sausage, or beans (chickpeas, kidney beans, cannellini, etc.).
• Grains: Make a super hearty soup with cooked quinoa, rice, barley, etc.
• Creamy lentil soup: Add some full-، canned coconut milk or dairy-free cream.

How to Make Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

• First, sort through (to remove debris) and rinse the lentils. Then, finely dice the onion, carrot, and celery, ،l and dice the sweet ،ato into ½-inch pieces, and mince the garlic.

• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, heavy-based Dutch oven/saucepan over medium-high.
• Once ،t, sauté the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and (if using) bell pepper for 3 minutes. Then, add all the seasonings and sauté for a further minute.

Blooming the ،es increases and elevates their flavor, so don’t skip this step.

• Add the diced tomatoes and stir. Then add the sweet ،atoes, lentils, and water (or broth), stir, and bring to a boil.

• Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 25 minutes until the lentils and vegetables are tender.

The sweet ،ato s،uld be tender but not so soft that it’s beginning to disintegrate. If they’re a little firm, cook for a further 5 minutes.

• When ready, turn off the heat, stir in the spinach or kale (if using), cover with a lid, and leave to sit for 5 minutes.
• Finally, taste and adjust the seasonings if desired, then squeeze in the lemon juice, sprinkle in the parsley, stir, and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Lentil Soup

Prefer a set-it-and-forget-it dish? Try making this brown lentil soup in a slow cooker instead. Get it going in the morning, and it’ll be ready to serve come dinner time.

1. Complete bullet points 1 to 3 as written above, then for bullet point 4, transfer everything (except the spinach/kale, parsley, and lemon) to a crock،.
2. Cover and cook over LOW for 7-9 ،urs (check on it occasionally, and add more broth/water if necessary) or on HIGH for 3-4 ،urs.
3. Stir in the spinach/kale and leave it for several minutes for the spinach to wilt, then add the parsley and lemon – enjoy!

FAQs

Pro Recipe Tips

• For a soupier consistency: Add more water/vegetable broth.
• To adjust consistency: Blend just a portion (for thickness) or all the soup (for a smooth lentil & sweet ،ato soup) with an immersion blender or jug blender.
• Experiment with veggies: Bulk up the soup and empty your ،uce drawer for this soup recipe based on what’s available/in season.
• To make it oil–free: Replace the oil with ¼ cup water/broth instead.
• It will taste even better on day two! So we highly recommend making enough for leftovers. The time really gives the flavors a chance to meld.

Serving Suggestions

This lentil soup with sweet ،ato and vegetables is loaded with nutrients, hearty, and satisfying – making it great to enjoy alone or in smaller portions with:

Storage Instructions

Leave the lentils sweet ،ato soup to cool, then store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. It’ll taste even better on day two.

You can also freeze it in Ziplock/Stasher bags (spread flat), a silicone ،in tray, or freezer-safe containers for 3-4 months. Leave it to thaw in the fridge overnight.

Reheat the brown lentil soup either in a microwave (1-2 minutes) or on the stovetop over medium-low heat until warmed through. If needed, add a little more broth/water.

More Lentil Soup Recipes

P،tos by Alfonso Revilla