Warming Red Lentil Sweet Potato Soup (Instant Pot!)
User Reviews
4.9
226 reviews
Excellent
Warming Red Lentil Sweet Potato Soup (Instant Pot!)
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This Instant Pot Red Lentil Sweet Potato Soup combines sweet potatoes and red lentils with warming spices like turmeric, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper, resulting in a thick, creamy soup with a comforting balance of sweet and mildly spicy flavors. It uses coconut milk for smoothness and can be garnished with pepitas or additional coconut milk, making it a versatile and nourishing meal.
Description
Using an Instant Pot, the soup starts by sautéing onion, garlic, and ginger in a small amount of water or oil until translucent and aromatic. Sweet potatoes are softened with gentle sautéing before adding red lentils, vegetable broth, water, and a blend of spices including turmeric, cinnamon, clove (optional), cayenne pepper, and sea salt. Pressure cooking briefly softens the lentils and potatoes to a creamy consistency.
The addition of coconut milk enriches the soup, providing a smooth texture and subtle sweetness that complements the spices. The overall flavor profile balances the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes with warmth from the spices and a gentle heat from the cayenne, creating a soothing and filling soup.
Served warm, the soup can be garnished with toasted pepitas for crunch, extra coconut milk for creaminess, or additional cinnamon and cayenne to taste. This soup is suitable for a nourishing lunch or light dinner, particularly in cooler weather.
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Ingredients
SOUP
- 1/4 cup water or sub 2 tsp oil as recipe is written, plus more as needed
- 1 heaping cup white onion ~1 small onion as recipe is written, diced, or yellow onion
- 3 medium cloves garlic (~1 Tbsp minced garlic as recipe is written)
- 2 tsp ginger ~1/2-inch or 1 ¼-cm piece as recipe is written, fresh, minced
- 1 healthy pinch sea salt
- 1 healthy pinch black pepper
- 4 cups sweet potato cut into 1/4-1/2-inch cubes- see photo // ~2 small-medium potatoes as recipe is written // or sub sweet winter squash such as butternut, peeled, cubed
- 3/4 cup red lentils
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric ground
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 small pinch ground clove (optional)
- 1 healthy pinch cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste, sea salt
- 1/2 cup coconut milk plus more to taste, full-fat
- 1-2 tsp maple syrup (optional)
FOR SERVING optional
- Pepitas toasted
- coconut milk
- cinnamon
- cayenne pepper
Instructions
INSTANT POT
- Turn on the sauté function on your Instant Pot (to the default “Normal” — not high or low). Once hot, add water (or oil), onion, garlic, and ginger. Season with a healthy pinch each salt and pepper and stir. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until onion is translucent and fragrant. Add a little bit more water as needed to prevent sticking.
- Add sweet potato and stir. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently and adding a little more water as needed to prevent sticking (we added 2 Tbsp (30 ml)). Sweet potato should be slightly tender when pierced with a fork or knife.
- Turn off the sauté function by pressing “Cancel.” Then add red lentils, vegetable broth, water, turmeric, cinnamon, clove (optional), cayenne, and sea salt, and stir.
- Put on the Instant Pot lid and turn to seal. Pressure cook on HIGH for 5 minutes (it will take about 5-10 minutes for the Instant Pot to pressurize before cooking begins). Once the timer goes off, let the steam release naturally (~15 minutes), or carefully press the quick release if in a hurry. Turn off the Instant Pot by pressing “Cancel.”
- Carefully open the lid and add coconut milk and maple syrup (optional) and purée with an immersion blender until smooth (or let cool slightly before transferring to a high-speed blender). Taste test and add more maple syrup for sweetness, coconut milk for creaminess, cinnamon for warmth, cayenne for heat, and salt for overall flavor.
- Option to garnish with toasted pepitas, a swirl of coconut milk, and a pinch of cinnamon and cayenne. Best when fresh. Leftovers will keep 4-5 days in the refrigerator or up to 1 month in the freezer. Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop.
STOVETOP
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add water (or oil), onion, garlic, and ginger. Season with a healthy pinch each salt and pepper and stir. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until onion is translucent and fragrant. Add a little bit more water as needed to prevent sticking.
- Add sweet potato and stir. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently and adding a little more water as needed to prevent sticking (we added 2 Tbsp (30 ml)). Sweet potato should be slightly tender when pierced with a fork or knife.
- Add red lentils, vegetable broth, water, turmeric, cinnamon, clove (optional), cayenne, and sea salt, and stir. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat, cover, and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until sweet potatoes and red lentils are tender.
- Add coconut milk and maple syrup (optional) and purée with an immersion blender until smooth (or let cool slightly before transferring to a high-speed blender). Taste test and add more maple syrup for sweetness, coconut milk for creaminess, cinnamon for warmth, cayenne for heat, vegetable broth or water to thin, and salt for overall flavor.
- Option to garnish with toasted pepitas, a swirl of coconut milk, and a pinch of cinnamon and cayenne. Best when fresh. Leftovers will keep 4-5 days in the refrigerator or up to 1 month in the freezer. Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop.
Notes
- Nutrition information is an estimate and does not include optional garnishes.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
2cups
Calories
318
(16%)
Carbohydrates
55.7g
(19%)
Protein
11.6g
(23%)
Fat
5.9g
(9%)
Saturated Fat
4.8g
(24%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.45g
(3%)
Monounsaturated Fat
0.2g
(1%)
Trans Fat
0g
(0%)
Cholesterol
0mg
(0%)
Sodium
510mg
(21%)
Potassium
796mg
(17%)
Fiber
9g
(36%)
Sugar
8.5g
(17%)
Vitamin A
17786IU
(356%)
Vitamin C
7.69mg
(9%)
Calcium
81.66mg
(8%)
Iron
4.06mg
(23%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4(~2-cup servings)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 318 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 2cups | |
| Calories | 318 | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 55.7g | 19% |
| Protein | 11.6g | 23% |
| Fat | 5.9g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 4.8g | 24% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.45g | 3% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 0.2g | 1% |
| Trans Fat | 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 510mg | 21% |
| Potassium | 796mg | 17% |
| Fiber | 9g | 36% |
| Sugar | 8.5g | 17% |
| Vitamin A | 17786IU | 356% |
| Vitamin C | 7.69mg | 9% |
| Calcium | 81.66mg | 8% |
| Iron | 4.06mg | 23% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
226 reviews
Excellent
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