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Easy Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

Easy Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

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  • Author: Amour de cuisine
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 5 servings 1x

Description

This easy red lentil and sweet potato soup is a hearty one-pot meal made with red lentils, tender sweet potato, leek, celery and warming spices. As the lentils cook, they gradually soften and naturally thicken the broth, creating a creamy consistency without cream or coconut milk.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 160 g dry red lentils, about a generous ¾ cup
  • ½ medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
  • ½ leek, thoroughly washed and finely chopped
  • 1 medium sweet potato, about 250–300 g or 9–10½ oz, peeled and diced
  • 1 cm fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon harissa, optional
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1.5 litres vegetable stock, about 6⅓ cups
  • Salt, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Plain yogurt, to serve
  • Fresh parsley, finely chopped, to garnish

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients

  1. Place the red lentils in a fine-mesh sieve. Rinse them thoroughly under cold running water, moving them around with your fingers, until the water looks almost clear. Drain well. Red lentils cook quickly and do not need to be soaked.

  2. Peel the sweet potato and cut it into small, even cubes, approximately ½–¾ inch wide. Keeping the pieces similar in size will help them cook evenly.

  3. Finely chop the onion and celery. Slice the leek lengthwise, rinse carefully between the layers to remove any soil and then chop it finely.

  4. Crush the garlic and finely grate the fresh ginger. Measure the spices, tomato paste and stock before you begin cooking so that everything is ready to add.

Build the flavour base

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat.

  2. Add the chopped onion, leek and celery. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring regularly, until the vegetables are tender and translucent. Reduce the heat if they begin to brown too quickly.

  3. Add the crushed garlic and grated ginger. Stir for approximately 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

  4. Add the cumin, paprika, black pepper and tomato paste. Cook for another minute, stirring continuously so that the spices do not catch on the bottom of the saucepan.

Cook the soup

  1. Tip the drained red lentils and diced sweet potato into the saucepan. Stir until they are evenly coated in the aromatic vegetable and spice mixture.

  2. Pour in the vegetable stock and stir well, scraping the bottom of the saucepan to release any tomato paste or spices that may have stuck.

  3. Add the harissa if using. For a mild soup, leave it out and offer it separately at the table.

  4. Increase the heat and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and partially cover the saucepan, leaving a small opening for the steam to escape.

  5. Simmer for 25–30 minutes. Stir every few minutes and more frequently toward the end, as the softening lentils will gradually thicken the broth.

  6. Check the sweet potato with the point of a knife or a fork. It should be completely tender, and the red lentils should have softened into the broth. If necessary, continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

Adjust the texture

  1. For a chunky soup, leave the vegetables as they are. For a thicker, creamier texture with some pieces remaining, press several cubes of sweet potato against the side of the saucepan and stir them back into the soup.

  2. For a partially blended consistency, blend one or two ladlefuls in a separate container and return them to the saucepan. To make a completely smooth soup, use an immersion blender until the desired texture is reached.

  3. If the soup is too thick, add hot water or additional vegetable stock a little at a time. Stir after each addition and stop when the soup reaches your preferred consistency.

Season and serve

  1. Taste the soup before adding salt, as the vegetable stock and harissa may already be well seasoned. Add more pepper, cumin or harissa if required.

  2. Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Top each portion with a spoonful of plain yogurt and a scattering of chopped fresh parsley.

  3. Serve immediately with warm pita bread, crusty baguette, Algerian matlouh or no-knead bread rolls.

  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 35 min

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 245 kcal

Find it online: https://www.amourdecuisine.fr/en/article-easy-red-lentil-and-sweet-potato-soup.html