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This Sweet Potato & Lentil soup is cozy, hearty, and made with only 8 healthy ingredients!
A perfect cold-weather lunch or dinner.
It’s been cloudy and rainy here – a.k.a typical Pacific Northwest weather in the Fall. While some people dread the change of seasons, I love it! It makes for the perfect excuse to take out my giant pot and whip up a batch of nourishing and cozy soup. Not only is this Sweet Potato & Lentil soup made with only 8 ingredients, but it’s also budget-friendly and freezer-friendly too.
Shall we?
Like most great soups, this one starts with an aromatic base of garlic and onion. We’ll sauté those in a splash of neutral oil or vegetable broth until translucent, then add in some fresh rosemary and thyme for the *ultimate* Fall-infused-flavor situation.
In go the lentils, cubed sweet potato, and vegetable broth – and that’s pretty much it! Bring the soup to a boil, then simmer until the lentils are tender. Stir in some fresh baby spinach just before serving, then top with freshly ground black pepper for a little kick.
This Sweet Potato & Lentil soup is perfect for meal prep and makes the perfect cold-weather lunch or dinner. One of my favorite things is to create BIG flavor recipes made from minimal ingredients, and this one does just that.
If you’re serving a crowd I’d recommend bulking this soup up with a side of crusty bread, or a side of my Everyday Kale Salad. Or both, go crazy 😉
A Few Final Thoughts:
- I used dried brown lentils for this recipe – I love how they absorb the soup flavors as they simmer away, providing an extra burst of flavor. If you’re in a time crunch, though, you can always use canned lentils – just reduce the vegetable broth by 2 cups and simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Feel free to add in some of your other favorite fall veggies here! Carrot, celery, tomatoes, and even broccoli would be great here. You can also swap the baby spinach for kale or collard greens.
- If you’re looking for more cozy soup recipes, you’ll also love this Curried Lentil Soup, this Green Pea Soup, and this Smoky Black-Eyed-Pea Soup with Quinoa!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
PrintHearty Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup
This Sweet Potato & Lentil soup is cozy, hearty, and made with only 8 healthy ingredients!
A perfect cold-weather lunch or dinner.
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2–3 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
- 1 cup (190g) dry brown lentils
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubes (4–5 cups; 617 g)
- 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 ounces (57 g) baby spinach
- Salt and Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Warm the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and black pepper to taste, then sauté for an additional 1 to 2 minutes
- Simmer: Add the lentils, sweet potatoes, and vegetable broth to the pot. Stir and bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and let simmer on medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until the lentils are fully cooked. Turn off the heat, then stir in the spinach until wilted.
- Serve: Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve warm. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or can be frozen for up to one month.
Notes
- Oil-Free: Omit the oil from step 1 and sauté the aromatics in 2 to 3 tablespoons of water or additional vegetable broth instead
Keywords: sweet potato soup, lentil soup, vegan lentil soup, vegan sweet potato soup, sweet potato lentil soup, healthy lentil soup, oil free lentil soup
So simple but so delicious! Perfect for the middle of winter. I topped it with Parmesan cheese
Thank you, Ibby!
It took more than 30 minutes for the lentils to soften — to the point in which I wondered if I’d done something wrong. I added some small shell pasta and a touch or sriracha. Quite yummy!
★★★★★
Glad it worked out, Vera!
5 stars for it’s taste- we love sweet potatoes! Combines well with lentils – a great vegetarian option. Super easy prep work too.
Also a good recipe to use leftovers: I had one giant sweet potato that more than filled up a 4-cup measuring bowl and a 1/3 bag of leftover spinach. Didn’t have chicken/veggie broth so I used chicken bouillon. Light yet really tasty – perfect for a cool fall afternoon. My family loved loved the soup, paired it with a grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough!!! Yum!
Thank you
★★★★★
So happy you all loved it, Christine!
Easy to make and tastes great. I added grilled pork chops for myself 😉 and some rye bread on the side. Suggest adding tag “fiber” or “fiber source” – I found this recipe because my wife is one week past from rotator cuff surgery and really, really needs tasty fiber!
★★★★★
Excellent flavor – and easy to make. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
You’re so welcome, Joan!
Easy and delicious. I added some carrots and celery as well.
★★★★★
Thank you, David!
Can you freeze this recipe?
Totally! Most soups freeze well and this one is no exception.
I have green lentils. Would that work in place of the brown ones?
We haven’t made the recipe with the green ones; green lentils take longer to cook and will hold their shape far better than brown lentils. If you can get brown we’d recommend them! If you use green keep in mind they will take more cooking.
I just made this and oh my goodness! very delicious, I didn’t have any rosemary so it’s the only ingredients I lacked but it’s still so flavorful.. definitely be cooking this next time.. Thank you for the recipe Caitlin! 🙂 <3
★★★★★
So glad you liked it – thanks so much!
Can I use red lentils if I don’t have brown on hand?
Red lentils won’t hold their shape very well and will likely become pretty mushy if you do decide to use them. Definitely recommend the brown lentils!
Was so good, my hubs requested I make a second batch the same day, so I did! I’d say that’s a win! Made in the IP. Thank you!
★★★★★
That’s so sweet! Glad you guys are enjoying it.
Should the sweet potato be cooked in advance or should I use uncooked sweet potato in making this soup?
We used uncooked sweet potato that we peeled and cut into cubes!
I made this and it was AMAZING. SO GOOD. I’ve been eating it this past week every night for dinner and it has not failed to hit the spot.
★★★★★
Glad to hear that! Thanks!
Tastes very good. My family loved it. Will definitely make it again.
★★★★★
Thanks so much!
Very good, quick and easy. The thyme and the rosemary go well together.
★★★★
Thanks!
followed the recipe & added carrots, celery, and some diced tomatoes.
SO GOOD!!!! all my roommates (even picky ones) love it.
★★★★★
That’s awesome! Thanks so much!
I made literally every recipe from this video and have never been more pleasantly surprised! This soup came out awesome, tons of flavor and so so easy to make. Thank you for these simple recipes!
That’s so awesome! Thanks and happy that you enjoyed them!
Can this recipe be made in an instapot?
★★★★★
Yes, I don’t see why not! I would use the sauté setting initially, then pressure cook on high for 15 minutes
Can I use water instead of broth and how much l
You COULD use just water (same amount, 6 cups) but the broth is what helps give it so much flavor!
Wow! This soup is perfect for autumn! Vegan, healthy and natural..What can be better? Thank you for this amazing recipe!
★★★★★
Glad to hear you’re getting into the fall season!