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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.
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
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 1813 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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!
This post was originally published on October 11, 2018
I’m going to make this tomorrow. It looks delish.
Can you freeze the leftovers?
HI Lisa! Yes, you can freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months. That works great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
I made this tonight and my husband loved it! We used the instant pot and fortunately we have two so one made the rice while the other made this savory, spicyand yet delicately sweet dish. This is a keeper for sure.
I am so glad you enjoyed this Noël! Thank you so much!
I just made this and it’s really delicious!!! Thank you for sharing! xoxo
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you Tracey!
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it. Any suggestions on cooking the soup with a crock pot instead? Thanks!
Hi!! I recommend cooking in high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-7 hours. That will be great!!! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
I made this soup last night, (the day it was published :)) since I had basically all the ingredients in my pantry. I only substituted some thinly sliced kale for the spinach. It was the perfect thing to cook at the end of a long work day – cozy and nourishing, fast and simple. Thank you, Tieghan, for all your work!
I am so glad you enjoyed this Vera! And after a long work day, that sounds like the perfect meal! Thank you!
This looks absolutely magnificent and warming for a cold evening. Given that it’s SUPER freezing where I am (in the 60s…call me a drama queen but that range is INSANELY COLD TO ME!), I am in dire need of warming foods like soup, roasted vegetables, and curry. The spices, sweet potato, and lentils seriously make this dish so hearty and perfect!
I am so with you! I hope you love this soup, Cassie and it warms you up a bit!
Love this recipe; very nutrious, flavorful and yummy
Thank you so much Jay!
Yummm this looks and sounds so tasty! I love coconut and sweet potato in soup! Oh yes never forget the fluffy naan 🙂
Thank you Elizabeth!
I have all the ingredients for this soup (they’re all things I have on hand at all time), so I’m definitely making this! I’m more than okay with all your comfort food recipes. 😉
I hope you love this! Thank you Caroline!
Looks so hearty and comforting!! Yum 😀
Thank you Sheenam!
I love anything lentil!
Thank you Ruth!
Hi there- could you sub butternut squash for the sweet potato? Would three cups work? Thank you! Love your recipes! Juliet
HI! Yes, butternut squash will be great. I would use 3-4 cups cubed squash. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
This looks so yumm! For those of us who have yet to get an Instant Pot, I assume this would work in a crock pot too?
Hey Janet! Yes, this works great in the slow cooker as well! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
Love this kind of soup, and I especially appreciate the leftovers, which always taste fabulous.
Thank you so much Cara!
It looks very tasty. Even though it isn’t soup weather here yet. HA! It has been in the 80s most of the fall. Unusually warm for north GA.
Wow that is so warm! Sounds nice haha! I hope you love this when it gets a bit colder, Charlotte!