Double Lentil Sweet Potato Soup
A veggie loaded double lentil sweet potato soup. A garlic and leek forward, creamy red lentil soup base topped with some crispy roasted lentils. Filling, flavorful, and great to meal prep.
Why You’ll Love This Double Lentil Sweet Potato Soup
- Packed with protein. Lentils are a high protein food with 1 cup cooked yielding 18g of protein. This soup uses red lentils in the soup base and then gets topped with additional crispy lentils for an extra protein punch.
- Great to prep ahead. Make a large batch of the soup base to freeze ahead of time for easy meals when you need it.
- The perfect texture. This soup is creamy and chunky at the same time and gets even more texture from the crispy lentil topping.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Lentils: I used 2 different lentils. For the soup base I used red lentils, which helps to make the soup really creamy. For the roasted lentils I used French lentils. You can use canned French lentils to help make this recipe come together quickly. Instead of French lentils you can also use small brown lentils.
- Sweet Potatoes: If not a fan of sweet potatoes, try this with butternut squash, acorn squash or Yukon gold potatoes.
- Pepper: I like spicy soup, but feel free to leave it out if it’s not your favorite.
- Leeks: If you don’t feel like using leeks, yellow or red onion works as well. I would use a full medium sized onion as a replacement.
- Spices: I used a combination of red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, and corriander.
- Herbs: I used fresh parsley and thyme. Feel free to use a different fresh herb like cilantro or chives if desired.
- Kale: You can omit or use spinach if desired.
- Tomato Paste: For more spice, feel free to use a different paste. I love to make this soup with harissa paste as an alternative.
- Vegetable Broth: Use a really good quality vegetable broth to help add good flavor to the soup. I personally love to use Better Than ouillon Vegetable base or I will use Edward & Sons bouillon cubes.
How to Make a Double Lentil Sweet Potato Soup
Preheat the oven to 425F. Transfer the lentils to a parchment lined baking tray then add the oil, paprika, coriander, garlic powder and a generous pinch of salt. Toss the lentils to coat evenly in the mixture then spread the lentils out in a single layer.
Bake for 15 minutes then give the lentils a toss, spreading them back in an even layer then roast for an additional 5-8 minutes until crispy. Allow to cool completely.
Add the oil to a large pot over medium low heat. When hot add the leeks and pepper with a pinch of salt and saute until soft and translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Then stir in the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Add the tomato paste and saute into the mixture for 2 minutes then add in the sweet potatoes, coriander, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes and another pinch of salt.
Saute the mixture for about 3 minutes, add 1-2 tablespoons of the vegetable broth then partially cover the pan with a lid and allow to cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and stir well then place the lid back on for 5 minutes.
Add the lentils, vegetable broth, 2 cups of water, thyme, and bay leaf then stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Partially cover with a lid and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the shredded kale, turn off the heat and allow the soup to wilt down the kale for at least 5 minutes. While you wait, add the lentils, parsley and lemon zest to a bowl and stir to combine.
Serve a portion of the soup topped with the crispy lentils and enjoy with bread if desired.
Expert Tips
- Make sure you clean your leeks before using. Start by first cutting off and discarding the end and the fibrous green top of the leek. From here, you can clean the leeks two different ways. First way, cut the leek lengthwise and run each half through water to help remove the dirt stuck between the layers. Dry well then thinly slice. For the second way, you can thinly slice your leek then place in a bowl with water to rinse and drain until the leeks are clean.
- To save time, meal prep some ingredients in advance. If making the French lentils from scratch, prep them ahead of the week. Cook them with a bouillon cube until tender, drain and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Having them made in advance will help save on cook time. You can also clean and slice up your leeks ahead of time too. Just place the cut leeks in an airtight container lined with paper towels for up to 3 days.
- For less spice, remove the jalapeno and/or the red pepper flakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The red lentil soup base can be prepped and stored in the freezer. After prepping, allow the soup to cool then portion into small containers to place in the freezer. I personally like to use the Souper Cubes to freeze soups into individual portions.
Store the red lentil soup portion in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The crispy lentils can be made without the parsley and lemon zest and stored in a glass container with a loose fitting lid on the countertop for up to 3 days. If you mix the lentils with parsley and zest, store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days, just note that the lentils will lose their crispness.
This soup is gluten-free, just make sure not to serve it with regular bread. Serve without or enjoy with a suitable gluten-free alternative.
More Wholesome Soups to Try
- Butternut Squash White Bean Soup with Crispy Sage
- Charred Cauliflower Sweet Potato Soup
- Lemony White Bean Potato Soup
- Shredded Tofu Noodle Soup
- Gnocchi Tomato Soup
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
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Double Lentil Sweet Potato Soup
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A veggie loaded double lentil sweet potato soup. A garlic and leek forward, creamy red lentil soup base topped with some crispy roasted lentils. Filling, flavorful, and great to meal prep.
Ingredients
Crispy Lentils
- 1, 15 oz can of small brown lentils
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup parsley, minced
- Zest of half a lemon
Soup
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 large leek, trimmed, cleaned and thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
- Kosher salt
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp tomato paste or 2 tbsp mild harissa paste
- 2 medium sweet potatoes (1.5lbs), peeled and cut into irregular 1 inch pieces
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 4 cups of vegetable broth
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (about 10 stems)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups lacinato kale, stems removed and shredded
For serving: bread of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Transfer the lentils to a parchment lined baking tray then add the oil, paprika, coriander, garlic powder and a generous pinch of salt. Toss the lentils to coat evenly in the mixture then spread the lentils out in a single layer.
- Bake for 15 minutes then give the lentils a toss, spreading them back in an even layer then roast for an additional 5-8 minutes until crispy. Allow to cool completely.
- Add the oil to a large pot over medium low heat. When hot add the leeks and pepper with a pinch of salt and saute until soft and translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Then stir in the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and saute into the mixture for 2 minutes then add in the sweet potatoes, coriander, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes and another pinch of salt.
- Saute the mixture for about 3 minutes, add 1-2 tablespoons of the vegetable broth then partially cover the pan with a lid and allow to cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and stir well then place the lid back on for 5 minutes.
- Add the lentils, vegetable broth, 2 cups of water, thyme, and bay leaf then stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Partially cover with a lid and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the shredded kale, turn off the heat and allow the soup to wilt down the kale for at least 5 minutes. While you wait, add the lentils, parsley and lemon zest to a bowl and stir to combine.
- Serve a portion of the soup topped with the crispy lentils and enjoy with bread if desired.
Notes
Make sure you clean your leeks before using. Start by first cutting off and discarding the end and the fibrous green top of the leek. From here, you can clean the leeks two different ways. First way, cut the leek lengthwise and run each half through water to help remove the dirt stuck between the layers. Dry well then thinly slice. For the second way, you can thinly slice your leek then place in a bowl with water to rinse and drain until the leeks are clean.
To save time, meal prep some ingredients in advance. If making the French lentils from scratch, prep them ahead of the week. Cook them with a bouillon cube until tender, drain and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Having them made in advance will help save on cook time. You can also clean and slice up your leeks ahead of time too. Just place the cut leeks in an airtight container lined with paper towels for up to 3 days.
For less spice, remove the jalapeno and/or the red pepper flakes.
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