Description
This Easy Sweet Potato Lentil Soup is a hearty, nutritious, and comforting vegan dish packed with vegetables, lentils, and flavorful herbs. It’s a perfect meal for chilly days, combining the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes with the earthiness of lentils and aromatic herbs. Ready in under an hour, this soup is both simple to make and wonderfully satisfying.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 cups chopped fresh kale
Liquids and Canned Goods
- 7.5 cups (60 oz.) vegetable broth
- 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
Legumes and Seeds
- 1 cup green lentils
- Pumpkin seeds (for garnish)
Herbs and Spices
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/3 teaspoon dried)
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (or 1/3 teaspoon dried)
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage (or 1/3 teaspoon dried)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Other
- Vegan croutons (for serving)
Instructions
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of water or vegetable broth. Add the chopped onion, diced carrot, diced celery, and minced garlic. Sauté these together over medium heat until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add Sweet Potatoes: Add the cubed sweet potatoes to the pot and continue cooking for an additional 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water or broth, 2 tablespoons at a time, if needed to prevent sticking or burning.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Stir in the green lentils, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and sage. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer the Soup: Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the soup uncovered for about 35 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and cooked through.
- Add Kale and Rest: Remove the soup from heat and stir in the chopped kale. Allow the soup to sit for 5 minutes, letting the kale soften with residual heat.
- Finish and Serve: Remove the bay leaves. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, garnished with vegan croutons and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.
Notes
- The nutrition facts do not include additional salt and pepper added to taste.
- If you prefer, substitute sweet potatoes with white potatoes or any other type of potato you like.
- If you don’t have lentils, use any cooked canned beans; add them at the end with the greens to prevent overcooking.
- Spinach or other greens can be used in place of kale; adjust cooking times for tougher or more delicate greens accordingly.
- For dry herbs instead of fresh, use 1/3 teaspoon each of dried thyme, rosemary, and sage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 284
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 463 mg
- Fat: 1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 11.1 g
- Protein: 14.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
