Description
This cozy Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice is a flavorful and nutritious dish perfect for a comforting meal. With tender sweet potatoes, red lentils, coconut milk, and warming spices like curry powder and cayenne pepper, this soup is both hearty and fragrant. It can be prepared on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot for convenience. Served over fluffy basmati rice and garnished with fresh cilantro and baby spinach, it’s complemented perfectly by warm fresh naan bread, making it a wholesome and satisfying bowl to enjoy any day.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup 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, to taste
- 1 can (14 ounce) coconut milk
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving
To Serve
- 2 cups cooked basmati rice
- Fresh Naan, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the base: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Then add the grated ginger, minced garlic, and cubed sweet potatoes and cook for about 2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the yellow curry powder and cayenne pepper and cook for another minute to bloom the spices.
- Simmer the soup: Pour in the vegetable broth and add the dried red lentils. Season generously with kosher salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are soft and the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Finish with coconut milk and spinach: Stir in the coconut milk and baby spinach. Cook for 5 minutes more until the spinach wilts and the soup is heated through. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped cilantro.
- Serve: Divide the cooked basmati rice among bowls, then ladle the soup over the rice. Garnish with additional fresh cilantro. Serve with warm fresh naan on the side for a perfect comforting meal.
- Instant Pot variation: Using the Instant Pot, set to sauté mode and cook onion in olive oil 5 minutes until soft. Add ginger, garlic, sweet potatoes, and cook 2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the curry powder and cayenne for 1 minute. Add broth, lentils, and salt. Close lid, set to manual mode at high pressure for 10 minutes. Perform quick pressure release, then stir in coconut milk and spinach and sauté for 5 minutes until spinach is wilted. Add cilantro and serve as above.
Notes
- You can adjust the cayenne pepper quantity to control the spiciness of the soup.
- For a creamier texture, blend part of the soup before adding coconut milk.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheat gently on stovetop.
- Use low-sodium broth to better control salt levels.
- Cook the basmati rice ahead of time or use leftover rice for convenience.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1.5 cups soup with 1/3 cup rice)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 290mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
