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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 made this the other day and it was sooooooooo good! I wouldn’t change a thing! GREAT recipe!
Thank you Lisa! I am so glad you loved this!
I made this over the weekend. Amazing! I loved it.
I am so glad this turned out amazing for you, emily! Thank you!
I made this on a Sunday for my husband and I. It made a quick dinner, and then we had plenty of leftovers for several lunches throughout the week. It was delicious! I’ll definitely be making again, but with a little less cayenne next time.
Thank you so much Regan! I am so glad you loved recipe!
If I wanted to add meat to this soup what type would you recommend? Thanks 🙂
Hey Tracey! I would recommend chicken bread. You can add cooked shredded or cook the chicken in the soup with the lentils, then shred. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
I am always a little nervous to make Indian food, as it seems I can never get it quite right. But this was so easy to make and turned out delicious! A cheaper and healthier option than takeout. Serving with naan is definitely necessary.
Thank you so much Meg! I am so glad this turned out so well for you!
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing <3
Thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed this!
I made this last night for my husband, who sometimes wonders where the meat is when I make vegetarian dishes. But he loved it! It was hearty and filling – great for a cold Autumn night!
Thank you so much! This is so perfect for a cold night and I hope you love it Faith!
This soup was awesome! We ate it for two days and loved it both times. We will definitely make it again and again.
I am SO happy to hear that! Thank you so much Diane!
This was sooooooo good!! Making it this week the night my family gets into town! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you Alexis! I am so glad you liked this and hope it turns out amazing for you family! Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!
This sounds great. I have everything to make it, so this will be dinner tonight. But, why peel the sweet potatoes? The peels are the most nutritious part of the potatoes. After boiling, they’ll break down and you won’t even notice them in the soup!
Hey there Lind! You are welcome to leave the skins on. Sounds delish! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
This soup was great! I made it exactly as your recipe states except I only used 1/8 tsp of cayenne, because I was sharing with some sissies. Anyway, it was truly outstanding, and I will make it again because these are some of my favorite food items, too. Next on the list will be the chicken, which really does look great. Thank you for sharing your talents and skills.
I am so glad you loved this Jeani! Thank you for trying out this recipe!
Made this last night and loved it! So flavorful. Perfect for a cold fall day!
Thank you Elena!
Amazing! Warm, delicious, satisfying, super easy. First HBH recipe and I’ll be back for more. About to snow just a smidge in Boston; I’m ready to bundle up on the couch with this soup. 🙂
I am so glad you loved this and you want to make more from my site! I hope you love all that you try! Thank you Laura!
So, so good! We made this for dinner prepping everything the night before. Dinner was done in minutes and so delicious! We added jalapenos and then had to add mozzarella cheese because we made it too spicy and those were amazing, too (thought our goal is to eat it cheese free when we can stand the heat).
I am so glad you loved this Kait! Thank you so much!
Made this tonight for our first freeze and it was unbelievably perfect. The only thing I did differently is I used an entire onion bc half onions make me sad.
Thank you so much Theresa!