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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
Hi Tieghan – I make so many dishes of yours each week and so enjoy looking over all your recipes! I am a devoted follower! But this curry! I think this may be the best thing I’ve ever made! And by far is one of your easier dishes to make! Thank you for this bowl of delicious heavenly goodness and thank you for continuing to contribute to the world, making my world so interesting and healthy and creative!
Lara
Wow that is so amazing! I am so glad you loved this recipe Lara! Thank you so much!
Second time making this soup! So flavorful and so filling. One batch on Sunday with rice fed up for three nights. Added celery and carrots. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you so much Kelly! I am so glad you loved this!
This was so easy and yummy! I’ll definitely be coming back to this recipe through the winter! I forgot to get rice but a a nice loaf of bread and it was great…next time I want to try your naan recipe! Thanks so much for posting….your recipes are always amazing!!
I am so glad you loved this Lindsay! I hope you do try the naan, its one of my favorites! Thank you so much!
I made this today and used 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne without thinking to start with a little less… just a first taste without the rice yet it seems a bit spicy. Do you have a recommendation of how to tone down the heat a little. Thanks so much!
Thank you so much Sarah! I am so glad you liked this!
This was one of the first recipes I tried in the Instant Pot, and is now a family favorite. My family has so many food sensitivities and we can all eat this soup. Thank you so very much!
I am so glad you all loved this Laura! Thank you!
This is the epitome of comfort food that is healthy as well. My gosh I mean what else is there to say besides this is incredible, especially when paired with her homemade naan (which by the way cooks gluten free amazingly.) Why am I not surprised this is amazing? I’ve tried a lot of her recipes and every single one so far has yet to disappoint. Thanks for all the new meal staples in my home! This is also kid friendly if anyone was wondering. My boy gobbles it up.
You’re too sweet Claire! I am so glad you loved this soup and with the homemade naan! Thank you so much!
This was so yummy! I omitted some of the heat and used the immersion blender to blend the veggies so that the kids wouldn’t be able to pick them out and it was a hit! Thanks!
I am so glad everyone loved this Jessica! Thank you!
So freaking good. I rarely eat leftovers more than one day. I ate this for lunch and dinner 3 days in a row. Thank you for this delicious recipe! Yum!
Thank you so much Corie! I am so glad you loved this!
I made this last night in my instant pot and made some minor alterations based on what I had on hand. I used a full cup of lentils since I wanted to use up what I had left. I did not add more liquid and it was fine. I also added half a fresh jalapeño chopped to the onion mixture (using up leftovers in my frig). I used two large handfuls of power greens at end (baby kale, baby chard, baby spinach) with the coconut milk. I will either cut the potatoes up in larger chunks or decrease cook time a minute or so as the potatoes were a little too soft and starting to disintegrate. I served over brown rice with whole grain naan. The flavor was amazing and will definitely make again. thanks
Thank you so much Danita! I am so glad you loved this!
Another slam dunk! Delicious!
Awh thank you!!
Could you recommend a crispy topping? Maybe crispy chickpeas?
Hi Soohie! Crispy chickpeas would be amazing! I hope you love this!
Can I use brown rice or nah?
Last night I made this recipe per the stove top instructions and it was awesome! Most delicious curry dish I’ve made yet. I noticed, however, that the red lentils completely dissolved into the soup. Is this intentional? Are the lentils intended to give body to the soup and serve a thickener? Or, should have they remained whole and perhaps I added them too early? Thanks – love your recipes!
HI! The lentils are meant to be very soft. If you want them firmer, just cook the soup 10-15 minutes less. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
So good! I used red curry paste as I don’t care for yellow curry but it’s fantastic! Thanks!
Thank you Suzanne!
Giving this one star because 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper is WAY too much. Once in there you can’t take it back :-(. I’m a fan of both spicy heat and HBH. I’ve made several HBH recipes so I followed this recipe as written though I should have followed my instincts. I suggest starting with an 1/8 of a teaspoon and adjust to taste. Spare your palate by cutting back and save the pot of soup which has promise to be very comforting.
Hi Diane! I am so sorry that this was too much heat for you. I hope you try this again with the spice level you like and enjoy it! Thank you!