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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 was really delicious and easy!
Hi there! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! 🙂 xTieghan
Made this soup today ! I made it as written, however, I didn’t have any rice. So I used red quinoa that I had … tasted delicious, but it didn’t “ look “ very nice … looked like red little dots in the soup. Next time ( which will be soon!) I will use rice … love the taste
Hey Melanie! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! ? xTieghan
Can I slow-cooker this?
I am also wondering!
Hey Christine, yes that should work just fine! xTieghan
Delicious!! This soup is so easy and quick to make. I added a lot more spinach (because I love wilted spinach in soup) and it was great 🙂
Hey Liz! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for trying it out and Happy Halloween! xTieghan
This recipe was sooooo good! I will be buying more sweet potatoes tomorrow so I can make another batch of this great soup 🙂
Hey! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for trying it out and Happy Halloween! xTieghan
Delicious, I sent the recipe to my vegan coworker as well!
Thanks so much! xTieghan
Very delicious and hearty on a cold fall day! Comes together easily.
A 1/2 tsp cayenne was a bit too much for us, even after adding coconut milk and rice- will dial that down next time.
Hi there! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this recipe! Sorry about the spice! 🙂 xTieghan
Love this recipe and the flavors!!! Thank you!
Hey there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I hope you loved it! Happy Tuesday 🙂 xTieghan
Instead of yellow curry powder can I use turmeric instead?
Hi there! Yes, turmeric should work just fine 🙂 xTieghan
One of my favorite recipes! First tried it last year and just revived it now that we are starting to get colder weather. Flavors are great and I love that it’s full of superfoods. We are amid a kitchen renovation, so one of my only options is cooking in the instant pot, and I am so thankful to have this recipe for just that! Thanks!
Hey there! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Have a lovely week! xTieghan
This soup is amazing! Very similar to mulligatawny which we love! We had it on a windy fall evening!
Thank you I love your recipes! Thanks again for one we will use over and over again
This soup is amazing! Very similar to mulligatawny which we love! We had it on a windy fall evening!
Thank you I love your recipes! Thanks again for one we will use over and over again
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have a wonderful week! xTieghan
We loved this recipe. Kids liked it too!
Hi there! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! xTieghan
Had this at a friend’s house and had to get the recipe. Made it many times and it’s always delicious!
Hey Andie,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
I made this recipe for lunch today, specifically for my 14-month old, but we all enjoyed it! When I saw the title I knew I had to make it, as those are all of her favorite foods. This soup was so tasty and satisfying. Also extremely healthy with the lentils and veggies! It’ll definitely be on our lunch rotation this fall. I followed up by making the broccoli chicken rice casserole for dinner. It was a true HBH day in our household!
Hi Missy,
Fantastic!! So great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and thanks a lot for making it. Have a great week!? xTieghan