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Cozy up to this Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup! Sweet potatoes and red lentils join forces with kale, lots of aromatics and signature Middle Eastern and Mediterranean spices in a warming, savory tomato broth. Delicious, satisfying and nutritious!
This Lentil Soup with Sweet Potato is so comforting, nutritious, hearty and 100% plant-based. It’s the type of soup that’s perfect for cooler weather, but that also makes sense to eat year-round.
My version is very vegetable-forward and chunky, with loads of protein and nutrition from all of the beans and veggies, including lentils, sweet potatoes, kale, carrots, celery, onions and tomato. And Spanish smoked paprika along with Eastern Mediterranean warming spices of cumin and coriander add such beautiful flavor, aroma and savoriness!
Lentils are one of those perfect foods, in my humble opinion. Filled with protein and nutrition, they are so satisfying, versatile and easy to cook. They don’t require soaking overnight or long cooking times like many other beans, so they are a great option for a relatively last minute dish. It’s always a good idea to keep lentils in your pantry for this reason.
If you love lentil soup, also check out my Lentil Soup with Italian Sausage recipe.
While this soup recipe has a healthy list of ingredients, almost all of the prep can be done a day in advance. Once the vegetables are ready and chopped, the recipe is extremely straightforward and easy, can be made in one pot just requires a bit of sauté and simmer time. I hope you enjoy this perfect-year-round soup recipe as much as I do and make it over and over again! Mangia bene!
If you love potato soup, also check out my Sweet Potato Apple Soup and Potato Sausage Soup recipes.
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Lentil Kale Soup is a nutritional powerhouse from the abundant vegetables and lentils. To make it we’ll need:
- Red Lentils: If you don’t have red lentils, the best substitutes are yellow or brown lentils. Other lentils, such as green, black and French lentils, can also be used but will required more time to cook and additional broth. See Frequently Asked Questions below for more about the different varieties of lentils.
- Sweet Potatoes: Any type of sweet potato or yam can be used in this recipe. If all you have on hand are regular, white potatoes, they can be used. Butternut squash would also be great here!
- Kale: This is a very hearty, veggie-forward lentil soup with loads of nutrition from all the vegetables. Dark leafy greens go so well with lentils and also add loads of flavor and texture. I use fresh lacinato kale (a.k.a., Tuscan or black kale) in this recipe, but have used frozen spinach and kale successfully dozens of times. Regular green kale, which is more fibrous and takes longer to cook, can also be used.
- Tomato Paste: Adds umami (savoriness) and a depth of flavor to the soup.
- Broth: Use a no- or low-sodium vegetable broth if at all possible.
- Onions, Celery, Carrots, Garlic: Important aromatics and the foundation for flavor in most soups. The carrots are optional in this recipe since it also contains sweet potatoes. (Both carrots and sweet potatoes add a bit of sweetness.)
- Spices: The eastern Mediterranean/Middle Eastern flavor profile of this soup comes from its special blend of spices–smoked paprika, cumin and coriander plus a little red pepper flakes for a touch of heat.
How to Make Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup
- Gather and prep all ingredients according to specifications above. Place the lentils on a sheet pan and look for any stones or debris and discard. Rinse the lentils well under running cold water using a colander.
- PRO-TIP: If you don’t have red lentils, the best substitutes are yellow or brown lentils. Other lentils, such as green, black and French lentils, can also be used but will required more time to cook and additional broth.
- Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, paprika and red pepper flakes and stir. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until vegetables have softened a bit, stirring occasionally.
- Then, move onion mixture to one side of pot. Add tomato paste and cook it for about 1 minute, then stir it with the rest of the vegetables.
- Add 2 cups broth and stir to loosen and scrape up any browned bits on bottom of pot. Then, add remining broth, sweet potatoes, lentils and spices and stir until all ingredients are well combined. Cover pot and bring mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally so that the lentils do not stick together or on the bottom of the pot.
- Simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Then stir in the kale and continue cooking until the kale and all vegetables and lentils are tender, about 5 minutes or so. Season to taste with salt. That’s it!
- PRO-TIP: If you prefer a thinner soup, increase the broth.
If you love vegetarian soups, check out my Cavatelli with Broccoli Soup, Eggplant Parm Soup, Baba Ghanoush Soup, Spinach Quiche Soup, Garlic Bread Soup and Mexican Street Corn Soup recipes, which are all in my cookbook, SOUPified: Soups Inspired by Your Favorite Dishes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many people think of these vegetables interchangeably and that they are basically the same thing. Well, they are pretty similar, but different as well.
A yam is a tuber, whereas a sweet potato is a root. Yams have rough, dark brown skin reminiscent of tree bark, and their flesh is dry and starchy, similar to a standard potato. In contrast, sweet potatoes have smooth, reddish skin, a softer texture when cooked, and a sweet taste. If you’re interested in reading more about the unique qualities of each of these vegetables, read this article.
You should pick through all lentils for stones and rinse them under running cold water briefly before using. But soaking lentils is not necessary because they are much softer than dried beans and cook rather quickly.
Yes, you can use any lentil in this soup recipe. There are difference between them, though. Red lentils, which are used here, and yellow lentils are hulled and split which means the skins are removed and the lentils are cut in half. So, they break down/cook quickly and can become soft and creamy if cooked long enough. Common brown lentils also become very soft when cooked and cook pretty quickly. Green, black and French lentils are all firmer, hold their shape more when cooked and take a bit longer to cook.
So, while this soup will work with all types of lentils, some will take longer to cook than others. You will need to increase the amount of broth for the longer-cooking varieties that will absorb more liquid. For more information about different types of lentils, check out this article.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Lentils: Use any lentil that you’d like in this Sweet Potato Lentil Kale Soup recipe. Check out Frequently Asked Questions above for more about this.
- Make it Heartier: Follow the guidelines in my Lentil Sausage Soup and add some hearty Italian sausage to this recipe. Of course, it will no longer be vegan with the sausage included!
- Don’t like kale? Lots of dark leafy greens work great in this recipe, such as mild spinach, swiss chard and escarole. Frozen spinach is also a great option in a pinch and I use it often in this soup.
- Want a Smoother Soup? If you prefer a smoother soup, you can puree this lentil soup either before or after adding the greens with a hand blender. The soup will thicker as well if you do this. I have some great instructions about how to use an immersion (hand) blender in my Sweet Potato with Apple Soup recipe.
- Spices: If you’d like to make this more of a sweet potato and red lentil curry with Indian spices, switch out the cumin and coriander for curry powder and garam masala. Alternatively, for more Thai-inspired flavors, use some red curry paste and finish with a little light coconut milk.
TOP TIPS FOR SWEET POTATO AND RED LENTIL SOUP
- Sweet Potatoes: Any type of sweet potato or yam can be used in this recipe. Butternut squash would also be great here!
- Lentil Prep: Be sure to pick through the lentils for any stones and rinse the lentils under running cold water before adding to pot.
- Lentil Type: If you don’t have red lentils, the best substitutes are yellow or brown lentils. Other lentils, such as green, black and French lentils, can also be used but will required more time to cook and additional broth.
- Prep in Advance: To save time when cooking, prep the vegetables in advance and store them in a zip-lock bag in the refrigerator for up to one day.
- Serving Suggestions: Sweet Potato Lentil Kale Soup is a hearty, filling dish that doesn’t need much to accompany it. Serve it with some crusty bread and you have a perfect meal! In a smaller portion, this soup would pair nicely with a mixed green salad or sandwich for lunch or a light diner.
- Storage: Soup leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Great Recipes to Try
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Easy Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup
Equipment
- Large pot (or Dutch Oven)
- Dutch oven (or Large Pot)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 cups small diced yellow onions
- 1 cup diced carrots (optional)
- 1 cup diced celery
- 3 Tbsp chopped or thinly sliced garlic
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste (about ⅔ cup)
- 8 cups vegetable broth, preferably no- or low-sodium
- About 1½ pounds sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and small diced
- 8 ounces red lentils (See NOTES for other options.)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 8 ounces kale (Tuscan/lacinato/black kale is preferred)
- 1½ tsp salt or to taste
Instructions
- Gather and prep all ingredients according to specifications above. Place the lentils on a sheet pan and look for any stones or debris and discard. Rinse the lentils well under running cold water using a colander.(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)8 ounces red lentils
- Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, paprika and red pepper flakes and stir. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until vegetables have softened a bit, stirring occasionally.¼ cup olive oil, 2 cups small diced yellow onions, 1 cup diced carrots, 1 cup diced celery, 3 Tbsp chopped or thinly sliced garlic, 2 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp crushed red pepper
- Move onion mixture to one side of pot. Add tomato paste and cook it for about 1 minute, then stir it with the rest of the vegetables.1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- Add 2 cups broth and stir to loosen and scrape up any browned bits on bottom of pot.
- Then, add remaining broth, sweet potatoes, lentils and spices and stir until all ingredients are well combined. Cover pot and bring mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally so that the lentils do not stick together or on the bottom of the pot.About 1½ pounds sweet potatoes or yams,, 8 ounces red lentils, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander
- Simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Then stir in the kale and continue cooking until the kale and all vegetables and lentils are tender, about 5 minutes or so. Season to taste with salt.8 ounces kale, 1½ tsp salt
- Turn off the heat, ladle hot soup into bowls and enjoy. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- This recipe makes large batch–about 12 cups soup. I figured on about 1½ cups portion per serving but adjust accordingly. Cut this recipe in half for a smaller yield.
- Any type of sweet potato or yam can be used in this recipe. Butternut squash would also be great here!
- Frozen spinach or kale is a great substitute for the fresh kale. Also, I prefer Tuscan kale (a.k.a., lacinato or black kale) but regular kale, which is more fibrous and takes longer to cook, can be used.
- Be sure to pick through the lentils for any stones and rinse the lentils under running cold water before adding to pot.
- If you don’t have red lentils, the best substitutes are yellow or brown lentils. Other lentils, such as green, black and French lentils, can also be used but will required more time to cook and additional broth.
- If you prefer a thinner soup, increase the broth.
- To save time when cooking, prep the vegetables in advance and store them in a zip-lock bag in the refrigerator for up to one day.
- The amount of salt that you’ll need depends on the salt level of the broth. It’s always best to use no- or low-sodium broths and stocks if possible so you have more control over the dish’s saltiness.
- Soup leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Consider portioning extra soup into containers to enjoy down the road! Reheat it slowly over medium low heat while stirring, adding additional broth or water if needed.
