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When you’re in need of warming comfort food, but you also want healthy, this Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice is just the soup recipe to make. All made in just ONE pot (or in your instant pot), in less than an hour, and using good for us ingredients like sweet potatoes, red lentils, warming spices, and creamy coconut milk. It’s cozy, a little spicy, and filled with vegetables. Finish each bowl off with steamed rice and you’ll have the perfect healthy bowl of sweet potato soup for lunch or dinner.
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When I get stuck creatively, I try to look at flavors and foods just slightly out of my comfort zone. I tend to fall back on cozy foods…pastas, creamy soups, and pretty much anything roasted. Those are my go-to’s and very much in my comfort zone.
This is why, when I get in a recipe rut, I love to step outside my box, and explore flavors I don’t use as often as I should.
Enter this soup.
Lately all I want to cook is the comfort foods I know and love. Which is totally fine, since I whole heartedly believe that you should make what’s inspiring you. With our cold, snowy weather I’m embracing all the comfort foods…after all, I think it’s what I’m best at!
That said, I was ready for a flavor switch up, and decided to explore some Indian inspired recipes.
Instead of googling anything, I text my soon to be sister (because my older brother is gettin’ married this summer!). Lyndsie is one of the more well-rounded eaters I know, and great for recipe ideas. She quickly responded with mulligatawny soup. At first I thought she spelled something wrong. But after some googling I discovered that mulligatawny soup is an East Indian curry soup. It’s traditionally made with veggies, sometimes lentils, sometimes apples, and coconut milk.
Honestly, I saw a ton of different versions online, so I’m not sure what’s really traditional. The point here is that I drew the inspiration for this soup from mulligatawny soup. This is not a mulligatawny soup, but it’s similar…ish, and 100% delicious.
When I set out to make this soup, I knew it needed to include three things: sweet potatoes, lentils, and rice.
I LOVE a rice based soup (have you made my favorite tortilla soup…or my wild rice soup?!). Since I haven’t made one in a bit, I knew using rice for this soup was key. I wanted lentils for protein, and sweet potatoes for, well, just because I love them…and they’re in season!
So those were my three must have ingredients. From here I built up the rest of the soup and it quickly came together.
You’ll start by cooking up some onions, garlic, and lots of ginger. These are major flavor boosters, so don’t skip them. Then toss in your sweet potatoes, yellow curry powder, and a pinch of cayenne for some heat. You could easily add some carrots and celery for extra veggies.
Add broth and red lentils, then simmer until the lentils are extra soft, which only takes about 15 minutes or so. You can also do this all in your instant pot (which I included directions for). But I honestly think it’s just as quick and easy to do this on the stove top.
Once the lentils are soft, stir in the full-fat coconut milk and some spinach, and simmer to warm through. And like that, the soup is done! I don’t like to add the rice directly to the soup. Instead I add the rice to bowls and then pour the soup over. This way the rice doesn’t soak up all the soup’s broth while it sits.
This soup is SO flavorful, SO full of color, and filled with good for us ingredients. Yet it feels totally comforting with the sweet potatoes, creamy coconut milk, and rice. I love serving it with my homemade naan (obviously). It’s our favorite over here.
Best part, well aside from all the deliciousness, this requires only one pot and is ready in less than 45 minutes. Perfect.
If you make this coconut sweet potato lentil soup please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How to Video:
Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice from Half Baked Harvest on Vimeo.
Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water
- 3/4 cup dried red lentils
- kosher salt
- 1 can (14 ounce) coconut milk
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 2 cups cooked basmati rice
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving
- fresh Naan, for serving
Instructions
Stove-Top
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and cook 5 minutes until soft. Add the ginger, garlic, and sweet potatoes and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cayenne and cook another minute. 2. Add the broth and lentils. Season generously with salt. Bring the mix to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes, until the lentils are soft and the sweet potatoes tender. 3. Stir in the coconut milk and spinach, cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cilantro. 4. To serve, divide the rice among bowls and ladle the soup overtop. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with Naan on the side. Enjoy!
Instant Pot
- 1. Set Instant pot to sauté. Add the olive oil and onion and cook 5 minutes until soft. Add the ginger, garlic, and sweet potatoes and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cayenne and cook another minute. 2. Add the broth and lentils. Season generously with salt. Cover, select the manual setting, and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.3. Once done cooking, use the quick release function and release the steam. Set the Instant pot to sauté. Stir in the coconut milk and spinach, and cook 5 minutes. Turn the instant pot off. Stir in the cilantro.4. To serve, divide the rice among bowls and ladle the soup overtop. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with Naan on the side. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This recipe is amazing. Love how quickly it all comes together, and has so much flavor. This will be a repeat recipe for sure! Thank you!
Thank you Melissa! xTieghan
This was absolutely fantastic. A perfect meal for a snowy day. Your recipes always impress, but this is one of my top 3 favorites of yours!
I am so glad you loved this Cait! Thank you! xTieghan
Such a simple soothing recipe! It’s for sure going into the rotation. I used yams (because I accidentally bought them instead of sweet potatoes) and brown basmati. So good!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Hilary! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
I’ve made this a couple times now, switching out different veggies, and it’s absolutely amazing!! Versatile and measurements are spot on. Thanks!
Yes! I love to hear that! Thank you Ashley! xTieghan
So so so delicious and homey. This is the kind of meal you want when your tired and cold. Mild in flavour (But not lacking) which is sometimes kind of appreciated 🙂 I added feta to top it off for some saltiness.
Ps. I’ve made about 10 recipes so far from your new book and they have all become favorites! I’m aiming to cook through the whole book through 2020 🙂
Wow that is so amazing to hear! I am so glad you have been loving the book and this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you Andrea! xTieghan
I love this recipe!!! Thank you for the very simple, fast, and delicious dinner ❤️
I am really glad this turned out so well for you Lea! Thank you! xTieghan
Made this delicious soup for dinner last night in my Instant pot. I’m new to Instant pot so looking for recipes to try. Also my daughter is vegetarian and has been under the weather this week so this recipe ticked a lot of boxes for me – quick and easy to prepare, packed full of goodness, and comforting and easy to eat – like getting a great big hug from a bowl of food. Thanks Tieghan – this is definitely being added to the recipe folder.
That is so amazing to hear! I am so glad you loved this recipe, Linda! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
I came across this recipe right on time for this cold weather. I just finished making this… it was sooo good! My family loved it!
I am so happy to hear that Liz! Thank you! xTieghan
Literally one of my favorite recipes ever! Super easy and sooo yummy!
That is so great to hear! Thank you so much Madeline! xTieghan
I made this tonight and oh my Lord, this recipe is to die for! I cooked the rice right in the soup though to make it truly a one pot meal, I just added a bit more water to compensate
I am so happy to hear that Renee! Thank you! xTieghan
I am so glad you loved this one, Renee! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I made this last night and can’t stop thinking about it. It was so easy and so good I could cry.
That is so amazing! I am so glad you loved this Hilary! xTieghan
I made this as directed, and it was easy and delicious. I loved the flavors together with a little lingering heat from the cayenne pepper.
So glad to hear that! Thank you Deb! xTieghan
Just made this, exactly as written but omitted the spinach and it is so good. My husband also gave it 5stars. Next time we are trying with the addition of sausage. The naan is currently resting, hoping it turns out as good as the soup! Thanks for another tasty recipe!
Thank you so much for trying this Ann! I am so glad you loved it! xTieghan
We loved this recipe!! Loved!!
A couple questions for you because I like to measure what would you say is a inch of ginger is? A teaspoon or tablespoon?
Just wondering the size of your sweet potaotes? Small, medium or large? Thanks Cheryl
Hey Cheryl! I always find an inch of ginger to be about 1 tablespoon grated. I use medium sweets potatoes and had about 2 cups diced. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Tried the Instant Pot version and my lentils turned to mush! It ended up puréeing the soup and seemed to turn out great!
That is so amazing Mary! Thank you so much! xTieghan