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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.

side angle photo of Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice

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.

overhead photo of Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice in soup pot

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.

side angle, close up photo of Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice

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.

Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice with hands on bowl

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.

overhead photo of Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice

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

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
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.

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Ingredients

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!
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horizontal photo of Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice
This post was originally published on October 11, 2018
4.33 from 1432 votes (1,151 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I know I am a year late to the party but I just wanted to say that this soup was amazing. Only modification I made was using curry paste because I didn’t have powder on hand. This is going into my “staples” collection!

    Reply

    1. Thanks Sara! I’m happy to hear that even with the substitution of the curry paste it turned out delicious! Enjoy!

      Reply

  3. Hi! I’m excited to make this but I’m not a big fan of sweet potato or squash, can you think of any other substitution for this? Thanks!!

    Reply

    1. Hi Sarah! You could try it out with russet potatoes or yukon golds. Let us know how it goes!

      Reply

  4. 5 stars
    This recipe is divine! Just finished licking my bowl, and even though I’m stuffed, I’m seriously contemplating seconds. I had 1/2 honeycrisp apple in the fridge, so I chopped that up and threw it in; it adds a beautiful sweetness that compliments the curry and coconut milk very well. If you don’t have an apple but have some raisins in the cupboard, throw a handful of those in. I also reduced the cayenne to 1/4 tsp to make it a bit more manageable. But if you love heat, which I usually so, they add the suggested 1/2 tsp +.
    Thank you so much for this deliciousness!

    Reply

  5. Hi there! Quick question… I see in the instructions that it states putting the rice in the serving bowl. Does that mean it doesn’t get cooked? Is it meant to be a little harder and crunchier? I just want to make sure I do it right…thanks! 🙂

    Reply

  7. 5 stars
    This is such a hearty and flavorful soup! I added fennel bulb, and used white sweet potatoes because it was what I had on hand. I also used kale instead of spinach. I don’t care for cilantro, so just left it out. This recipe is a definite keeper!!

    Reply

  8. This looks amazing..I may have to make this tonight 🙂 is it spicy though ? Which isle do you usually find naam in? Thanks so much!

    Reply

    1. Hi Dani! This is not too spicy, but you can adjust the heat by reducing the cayenne pepper. I usually find my naan by the cheese counter, but all grocery stores are different and vary. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  9. I have a question. I made this today and I forgot to add the curry powder and cayenne pepper ??‍♀️. Can I add it now and stir it in or is it too late? Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hey Caroline! Yes, you can just add the spices now. I am sure that will be just fine. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  11. 5 stars
    My daughter is a little averse to chunky soup textures, so we got the immersion blender out. Still awesome, with flecks of spinach and great, creamy flavor. Lovely recipe.

    Reply

    1. Hi Laura! Yes, I cook the rice separately. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply