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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
This was so flavorful and filling! Definitely reccommend!
Thank you Sarah! I am so glad you enjoyed this!
Wow just wow so simple to make and downright delicious.
Thank you Gary! I am so glad you liked this!
I didn’t know what to make for lunch yesterday so I decided to give this recipe a try, everyone at my house LOVED IT! Perfect for cold and rainy days, also ingredients were really easy to find (I live in Mexico).
That is so amazing! I am so glad your family loved this recipe, Blanca! Thank you so much!
What about using chicken broth? I’ve got so much in my pantry to use up and no veggie broth on hand!
Chicken broth will worth great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
Very tasty soup. Loved it! Keep them coming!
Thanks,
Claire
Thank you so much Claire!
This is delicious! I made it for lunch on a cold and dreary day last week, and am looking forward to the leftovers. It’s a lot spicier than I anticipated – which is a good thing. I like spice, but usually have to add more than what a lot of recipes call for. I’m glad I tasted first before adding any more!
I am so glad you loved this recipe, Kayleigh! Thank you!
I made this on the stove top without substitutions and it’s delicious! Such a great combination of flavors!
Thank you so much Megan!
I have been promising self to make this recipe for days now. Finally did! OMG!!! It’s is divine! My husband are 4 bowls and my three fussy kids almost licked their bowls clean! I love your IG feed, have drooled over your food pics for months and am now a converted half baked harvest food addict! Thank you!! Next stop for me… pumpkin cinnamon swirl pancakes ?
I am so happy that you and your family loved this recipe, Maria! Thank you so much!
Hi! Can I substitute green lentils? That’s what I have on hand.
Hi Rachel! Yes, that will work! I hope you love this!
Hi Rachel! Yes, green lentil will work great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
I am a huge Half Baked Harvest fan and have made dozens of the recipes from the book. They are always a hit! I love the creativity in all your recipes. I made this last night and it did not disappoint – DELICIOUS! I substituted orzo for rice since we are already having rice this week, but I love how thick and creamy and flavorful this was. The sweet potatoes, the curry powder, the coconut milk, such a great flavor mix. Thank you!
Thank you so much! I am so glad you have been loving my recipes, especially this one!
This recipe was fabulous. I did leave out the cayenne as my husband is sensitive to spicy hot foods and I wasn’t sure how much to use but I didn’t miss it as the flavors were so good otherwise.
Thank you so much Suzanne!
Oh. My .Goodness. Okay I love all the half baked harvest recipes and treat my cookbook as if it was my first born. BUT WOW. This soup is increidble. Here in Canada it is chilly already and this soup is the perfect thing to keep me warm during study breaks! It is the perfect mix of sweet and spicy. I substituted the sweet potato for candy roaster squash which made the soup a bit thicker… delicious. Thank you!
I am so glad you are loving this soup Tessa! This is so perfect for colder weather! Thank you!
Mine turned into more of a greenish yellow color. Not the prettiest to look at but not a huge deal. I am thinking the flavors may develop a bit more when I eat the leftovers tonight. If not, I think I will add more curry. Thanks for another recipe!
Hi Danielle! Please let me know if it is better after adding more curry. I hope this turns out better for you!
This soup is the best! Easy,quick to make and so delicious. It tasted really good even before adding coconut milk. I loved loved this recipe and will definitely make it again. Thank you again for sharing it, so good.
Thank you so much Agne!
Hello! I want to make this but don’t have yellow curry powder but I do have Garam Masala. Do you think that could work? Or Thai curry paste? How much should I use if I sub the paste? Thanks!!!
HI! I think garam masala will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan