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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.
How do I subscribe to your blog . Your recipes sounds amazing.
Hi Sherrill! If you go to the home screen of my blog and scroll all the way to the bottom, you can add your name and email address! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this without the rice, one of the bast soups I’ve ever made. Thank you for a fabulous recipe. Xx
Thank you Kelly!! xTieghan
This recipe was so simple but so full of flavor!
Thank you so much Rachel! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Made this tonight for dinner! It was easy and delicious, although a little spicy for my taste. Can’t wait for a couple more nights of leftovers.
Love that! Thank you for trying this Brittany! xTieghan
I think this was delicious, could’ve used a bit more seasoning but overall great dinner.
Thank you so much Keera! xTieghan
Can you share how you’d adjust this for a crock pot (I don’t have an instant pot)? Thanks!
HI! I would simply just cook on LOW for for 6-8 hours. That will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Delicious
Thank you Nicole! xTieghan
I have made this recipe MANY times now and it never disappoints! I have recommended it to many friends and they all love it as well. Fast, easy, delicious and great as a vegan/vegetarian option to reduce the meat in your diet during weeknight dinners.
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much Joy!! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan. Just made this for the second time. Absolutely delicious! Perfectly spiced and the rice is a tasty must. I made your pita bread to sop up the deliciousness. Perfect, thank you!
Yes! The pita at the end is the best!! Thank you so much for trying Anne Marie! xTieghan
I made this last week. It was delicious. My husband and I ate it up. My 3 little kids tried it, but thought it was too spicy, so next time I may back off some of the spice, but I loved it. Also gave some to a gluten-free vegan friend who loved it. I will make this again. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Joanne! Thank you so much for trying this one! So glad you and your husband loved this and hope your little ones do too with less spice! xTieghan
Great recipe and it was devoured by the whole family! My kids (8 and 10) have really been loving Indian flavors lately. I added boneless skinless chicken thigh and low boiled for 20 minutes before I added the lentils and simmered til lentils were done.
Served it with salad and the frozen Naan from Trader Joe’s. Perfect!
Thank you so much Erin! xTieghan
LOVE! The smells when this is cooking are unreal. Big fan of all of her recipes but when I saw this we couldn’t pass it up!
I am so glad you tried this! Thank you Carrie! xTieghan
I am so very, very in love with your recipes. My entire winter has been made up of them and they have so enriched our season. I am making this soup today for a dinner party tomorrow night. I know not to add the rice, but am I OK to make this a day ahead? I’m not overly familiar with working with lentils, i.e. if they will suck up the broth too.
Hey Tara! This is a great recipe to make ahead. The lentils shouldn’t soak up the broth, but if it does thicken you can just thin the soup with a additional broth before serving. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Just recently discovered your blog and instagram! This has been my FAVORITE recipe this month. It’s so easy and delicious. It’s the perfect winter soup. Excited to try out more of your recipes 🙂 Thanks for doing what you do!
Aw that is amazing to hear! I hope you love all of the recipes you try! xTieghan
Hi! Could I sub greed curry paste or red curry paste for the curry powder?
My daughter made this for me last fall and it was great – now I’m going to see if I can produce the same results!
Hi Keli! I am sure green curry paste will work well, though I have not tried it. Let me know how it goes! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan