Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
This Sweet Potato & Lentil soup is cozy, hearty, and made with only 8 healthy ingredients!
A perfect cold-weather lunch or dinner.
It’s been cloudy and rainy here – a.k.a typical Pacific Northwest weather in the Fall. While some people dread the change of seasons, I love it! It makes for the perfect excuse to take out my giant pot and whip up a batch of nourishing and cozy soup. Not only is this Sweet Potato & Lentil soup made with only 8 ingredients, but it’s also budget-friendly and freezer-friendly too.
Shall we?
Like most great soups, this one starts with an aromatic base of garlic and onion. We’ll sauté those in a splash of neutral oil or vegetable broth until translucent, then add in some fresh rosemary and thyme for the *ultimate* Fall-infused-flavor situation.
In go the lentils, cubed sweet potato, and vegetable broth – and that’s pretty much it! Bring the soup to a boil, then simmer until the lentils are tender. Stir in some fresh baby spinach just before serving, then top with freshly ground black pepper for a little kick.
This Sweet Potato & Lentil soup is perfect for meal prep and makes the perfect cold-weather lunch or dinner. One of my favorite things is to create BIG flavor recipes made from minimal ingredients, and this one does just that.
If you’re serving a crowd I’d recommend bulking this soup up with a side of crusty bread, or a side of my Everyday Kale Salad. Or both, go crazy 😉
A Few Final Thoughts:
- I used dried brown lentils for this recipe – I love how they absorb the soup flavors as they simmer away, providing an extra burst of flavor. If you’re in a time crunch, though, you can always use canned lentils – just reduce the vegetable broth by 2 cups and simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Feel free to add in some of your other favorite fall veggies here! Carrot, celery, tomatoes, and even broccoli would be great here. You can also swap the baby spinach for kale or collard greens.
- If you’re looking for more cozy soup recipes, you’ll also love this Curried Lentil Soup, this Green Pea Soup, and this Smoky Black-Eyed-Pea Soup with Quinoa!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
PrintHearty Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup
This Sweet Potato & Lentil soup is cozy, hearty, and made with only 8 healthy ingredients!
A perfect cold-weather lunch or dinner.
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
- 1 cup (190g) dry brown lentils
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubes (4-5 cups; 617 g)
- 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 ounces (57 g) baby spinach
- Salt and Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Warm the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and black pepper to taste, then sauté for an additional 1 to 2 minutes
- Simmer: Add the lentils, sweet potatoes, and vegetable broth to the pot. Stir and bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and let simmer on medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until the lentils are fully cooked. Turn off the heat, then stir in the spinach until wilted.
- Serve: Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve warm. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or can be frozen for up to one month.
Notes
- Oil-Free: Omit the oil from step 1 and sauté the aromatics in 2 to 3 tablespoons of water or additional vegetable broth instead
This recipe is so easy and quick. Thank you! It contains all the ingredients I have on hand all fall and winter so it’s great to whip up for unexpected company too. The best part is my husband suffers from diverticulitis and he finds this soup so soothing. Thank you again!
I’m so happy you both enjoyed, Lenore!
I have made this recipe twice now. The first time I followed pretty exactly, and I feel like it ended up too sweet and without much complexity of flavor. The second time, I made some modifications and a friend reported it was “the best soup I’ve ever had”.
The second time, I made triple the recipe (I meal prep). I used only 5 potatoes instead of 6 and I used Japanese sweet potatoes, which are less sweet (If using American sweet potatoes, I’d probably use 4, i.e. a 30% reduction in sweet potato). I also used large onions and doubled the garlic for more savory flavor. I used dried thyme because it was what I had, and also added 1 tbsp oregano, 2 tbsp garlic powder, 2 tbsp onion powder, 1 tbsp red chili flakes, and 1/3c nutritional yeast. This added a lot of richness and more complexity to the flavor, which knocked this recipe out of the park (the nutritional yeast also adds a lot of B12 which is great for vegan/vegetarian folks). I also used 24oz of frozen diced spinach, because I do love some spinach. I also added a good slug of salt and pepper as suggested.
Not to be that guy who replies on a recipe blog with an entirely different recipe but I really think these modifications made this soup phenomenal and are worth trying. Happy cooking!
I’m so glad it worked out for you in the end! Modifications are always welcome to suit personal preference!
I love your additions and I’m going to make this for the first time today with your suggestions!
I recently transitioned from a red meat and chicken eater to vegetarian and are in need for recipes that not only fill my belly but also make me feel good.
I made the decision to go meatless on April 27th 2024. HealthCare concerns and a desire to lose weight were the main motivators but I had been dipping my toe into vegetarian eating for a number of years but I found myself highly motivated and ready to go mostly all in. I say mostly because I’m still eating fish but a lot less than when I first started in April. I have a 35 year old daughter whom has been vegetarian for the last 20 years and I have the benefit of her guidance. ( she’s not quite a Vegan as she won’t give up her ice cream) After eight months I’ve learned a lot and Caitlin’s recipes are really good for a number of reasons. They are EASIER than most yet loaded with flavor and taste. Really good for new veg eaters. Learn to work with tofu, Lentils, Quinoa, Couscous, and Faro to start. I love beans and also Brown rice. Check out Jasmine Brown rice. The nice thing about eating this way is the ease with which you can add anything to almost anything. After that it’s the seasoning and technique you’ll learn as you go. Make sure you learn how to make the cashew cream, that sh*t is the bomb. I eat Greek yogurt ( my daughter eats the dairy free kind) the point is don’t overwhelm yourself at the beginning. I never thought I would go all the way to Vegan, I just decided to stop eating all meat but the more into it I get, the more I see myself going all the way there. Learning an entire new way to cook has been challenging but also very rewarding. I’m mostly retired so I have more time for this endeavor and it has taken time. Just the food and supplies shopping alone is a whole new adventure. Oh, get a tofu press, they’re really cheap ( Amazon) and absolutely necessary. I love tofu, it was the first thing I mastered. Crispy tofu, sticky garlic lime tofu stir fry ( yummy) tofu scrambles will make you forget eggs. I’m doing more soups and stews now as I live in the northeast and you know it’s frigging cold out now. That and I’ve just started experimenting with curries, they’re my new challenge. Curries and Indian food.
Anyway, I guess I was in the mood to share a bit of my journey but Caitlin’s recipes are a fantastic resource for someone new to eating a plant based diet. They have been for me. Look around her page and you will find some that will become new comforts foods for you, that I’m certain about.
Good Luck!
Be well and have a happy healthy New Year!