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Curry Sweet Potato + Red Lentil Soup

This glowing Curry Sweet Potato & Red Lentil Soup recipe features nourishing sweet potatoes, and protein-rich red lentils, simmered together with a tart green apple, aromatic ginger, curry, cilantro, onion, garlic, and coconut milk!

top down view of a bowl filled with a serving of curry sweet potato and red lentil soup with items surrounding.

With soup season about to start and the temperatures beginning to fall, warm up the kitchen and wrap your hands around a bowl full of this thick, hearty soup.

Nourishing and full of flavor, it’s a lovely combination of both savory & sweet and just maybe your new go-to soup!

curry sweet potato and red lentil ingredients on a wooden plate.

Curry Sweet Potato + Red Lentil Soup

I ran across this recipe from BBC Good Food with (mostly) great reviews and couldn’t pass up adapting it to fit into the recipe collection. The ingredient list is fairly simple and straightforward. What I really love about this recipe is the addition of a green apple and toasting the curry.

I didn’t change the original recipe too much, just a few tweaks to make it vegan and make sure it isn’t overly sweet.

A few of the changes I’ve made include:

  • Narrowing down the apple choice. The original recipe calls for an ‘eating’ apple, but after reading reviews that the soup was too sweet, I decided to narrow it down and go with a green apple. The tartness helps cut into the sweetness of the potatoes.
  • Also, some didn’t like the lime juice, but I loved it here. It will also help cut the sweetness, as well as add a little brightness. I would suggest starting with 1/2 of the lime juice and adding the other half if needed.  I didn’t find the soup to be too sweet at all with the green apple and lime juice, just a nice balance of sweet and savory.
  • For the milk, feel free to change it up using either coconut milk (light, full-fat, or cream), or your favorite non-dairy unsweetened milk. I used coconut cream here, and needless to say, it was delicious!
top down view of prepped veggies on a wooden cutting board.
CURRY SWEET POTATO + RED LENTIL SOUP

How To Make Curry Sweet Potato + Red Lentil Soup

  • Cube, dice, and mince your ingredients.
  • Cook soup in a large Dutch oven or pot – you’ll want to use at least a 5-quart pot.
  • Once the soup is done simmering, you can either eat it as is or puree it using an immersion blender. The soup on the left has just finished simmering and can be eaten as is if you like. At this point, the soup is a mustard color, but once pureed, the soup will take on an amber glow (shown on the right).
  • If you prefer your soup between pureed and chunky, you can always roughly puree the soup, which is what I usually do. I love finding a few chunks of goodness here and there!
side by side photos of opened can of coconut milk and fresh cilantro.
  • Serve with a spoonful of ultra-creamy coconut cream and freshly chopped cilantro over top. And for those who like a little heat, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and/or jalapeno slices to get your fix.

Both wholesome and nutrient-dense, I hope you enjoy this soup as much as I did!

How Long Will Leftovers Keep?

Leftovers will keep for 5 – 6 days in the refrigerator, stored in a covered container. Simply re-warm on the stovetop or the microwave. It makes a great meal prep for the week with homemade no knead bread or Naan on the side for soaking up the juices.

Can You Freeze Sweet Potato + Red Lentil Soup?

Yes, it freezes well for up to 2 months! To freeze, store in freezer-safe containers leaving 1/2 inch head space for expansion. You can also freeze larger portions in large ziplock bags or containers. Let thaw in the refrigerator.

side angle view of bowl of curry sweet potato soup in a bowl with spoon.

Adjusting For Dietary Restrictions

  • Grain-Free: Omit the lentils and reduce the liquids to 3 – 4 cups to make this recipe grain-free, adding more liquids as needed.
  • Gluten-Free: This soup is already gluten-free!
  • Low-Fat: Instead of using coconut milk, opt for unsweetened plant milk.
  • Oil-Free: When sauteeing the onions and garlic, be sure to use water or vegetable broth instead of oil to make this recipe oil-free. The broth will yield the most flavor, but water is great, too, and what I usually use.

More Red Lentil Soup Recipes!

Red lentils add a good dose of protein and heartiness to soups. Try these other vegan recipes using red lentils. You may find a new favorite for the meal rotation!

top down view of bowl of curry sweet potato red lentil soup.

If you try this curry sweet potato soup recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

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CURRY SWEET POTATO + RED LENTIL SOUP

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 7 reviews

Cozy up with a bowl of this golden, thick & hearty curry sweet potato and red lentil soup. It’s both nutrient dense and full of flavor!

  • Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 30 min
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4 – 6 1x
  • Category: Soup, Entree
  • Cuisine: Vegan

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or 1/4 cup water, for water saute
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 1 green apple, peeled, cored and diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/3 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 large sweet potatoes, cubed
  • 1 cup dried red lentils
  • 5 cups vegetable both, water, or combo
  • 1 can ( 14oz.) coconut milk (light, full-fat or cream) or 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
  • juice of 1 lime

To serve (optional)

  • choppped cilantro
  • red pepper flakes
  • coconut cream
  • lime slices

Instructions

Toast the curry: Heat a large dutch oven or pot (at least a 5 quarts) over medium heat, add the curry powder and toast for about 2 mins. The color will darken slightly and become fragrant. Add the olive oil, and give a good stir, letting the spices sizzle.

Saute: Next, add the onions, apple, garlic, cilantro and ginger, gently saute for 5 mins, stirring occasionally (things are really starting to smell good now!).

Simmer: Add the sweet potatoes, lentils, broth and milk, bring to a gentle boil, cover and reduce heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes, sweet potatoes should be fork-tender and lentils soft.

Puree: Once done, let cool a few minutes and blend until smooth using an immersion blender. Stir in the lime juice (start with 1/2 lime), check for flavor, adding the remaining 1/2 lime juice, salt & pepper to taste.  Add a tad more milk/water if you prefer a thinner soup.

Serve with chopped cilantro, red pepper flakes, and a drizzle of coconut cream. For extra brightness, add a squeeze of lime over top.

Serves 4 – 6

Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 – 6 days in an airtight container. It’s also freezer friendly and can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through.

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20 Comments

  1. Martha S. says:

    This is a simple yet flavorful and comforting soup! I made it using a red apple instead of green, simply because that’s what I had on hand. Omitted the cilantro because my partner can’t stand it. Thanks for the recipe!






  2. This is a wonderful recipe. Made it exactly as written and we loved all the fresh flavor! Would like to get a print view to print out but it doesn’t seem to be working.






  3. Simple and delicious, super creamy and healthy…when does that ever happen?






  4. Super simple and super tasty!






  5. Maeghan Kuemper says:

    Made this tonight, omitted the apple, and only used half the curry powder. Blended it up in my Vitamix. So good! Exactly what I was looking for.






  6. I was looking for a way to add flavor to my fast from refined sugar, and this is definitely the way. I just tasted it, and it is so, so delicious. I am sure the flavors will set more as the soup settles. I am so grateful I found this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing it!!!






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