This hearty Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup is nutritious for the body and nourishing for the soul! Full of warm, savory flavors, this soup is easy to make and cooks up quick and easily in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop!
Is this kid-friendly?
Yes!! Swap the chili powder for paprika (dried ground bell peppers) to make this kid-friendly. Kids generally enjoy the mild, simple flavors of lentils and sweet potatoes.
Are lentils healthy?
Big time. Lentils are one of the most nutritional legumes and also provide that hearty texture which makes this soup come to life! One cup of cooked lentils are packed with an incredible:
- Protein: 17.9 grams
- Fiber: 15.6 grams
Of the reference daily intake:
- Folate: 90%
- Manganese: 49%
- Iron: 37%
- Phosphorous: 36%
- Copper: 25%
- Thiamine: 22%
- Potassium: 21%
- Magnesium: 18%
- Vitamin B6: 18%
- Zinc: 17%
Lentil health benefits
Lentils have the highest antioxidant content among legumes! What else tops the list? After lentils, chickpeas aren’t far behind, trailed by small red beans and black beans.1 What is the healthiest color of lentil? Red! For this recipe I use green lentils because I prefer the texture and lentils in general are still number one! They also have anti-inflammatory properties, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic and neuroprotective effects and are also a source of prebiotics.2
Lentils can help lower cholesterol, protect against osteoporosis, and help moderate blood sugar levels — not just at the meal they were eaten, but for hours later or even the following day!
Sweet Potato
Sweet potato is a slightly sweet root vegetable that belongs to the morning glory family and has been aptly dubbed a “Super Food” because it’s loaded with nutrients! Sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals and may help protect against chronic illnesses like cancer and heart disease.
Antioxidants help protect your body against free radial damage, which can help prevent cancer. Sweet potatoes are packed with carotenoids and studies have shown that carotenoids help lower the risk of stomach, breast, and kidney cancers.345
Sweet potatoes are also incredibly rich in beta carotene, the antioxidant that provides that beautiful orange color, which your body converts into vitamin A.
One cup (200 grams) of sweet potato with skin provides:
- Calories: 180
- Carbs: 41.4 grams
- Protein: 4 grams
- Fat: 0.3 grams
- Fiber: 6.6 grams
% Of the recommended Daily Value:
- Vitamin A: 769%
- Vitamin C: 65%
- Manganese: 50%
- Vitamin B6: 29%
- Potassium: 27%
- Pantothenic acid: 18%
- Copper: 16%
- Niacin: 15%6
Is fiber important?
When people find out that I eat a plant based diet, often times I get the predictable puzzled look followed by, “…but where do you get your protein?” Everywhere, I get protein everywhere. Meat eaters are getting way too much protein in their diets, which can have adverse health effects, and even vegetarians and vegans are getting way more protein than they need. 97% of Americans get enough protein and the ones who aren’t are on an extreme calorie restrictive diet.
The real question that everyone should be asking everyone else is, “Where do you get your fiber?” The standard American diet is lacking fiber terribly which contributes to poor health — only 3-5% of Americans are eating enough fiber! Getting an adequate intake of fiber is associated with reduced risk for heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.7 Fiber helps flush out excess cholesterol from the body as well as excess estrogen!8
“Men are particularly deficient — after studying the diets of 12,761 Americans, the percent of men between ages 14 and 50 getting the minimum adequate intake is zero.”9
How much fiber should we be getting? The Institute of Medicine recommends that individuals should consume 20–35 g fiber per day.10
But where do you get your fiber?
Fiber is found exclusively in plant foods. There’s the problem — Americans don’t eat enough greens, beans, fruits, and whole grains. Fiber is not in meat, dairy, or eggs. A surprising 50% of Americans think steak has fiber and with this kind of thinking, no wonder the population is struggling.
- 96% of Americans don’t eat the minimum recommended daily amount of beans.
- 96% don’t eat the minimum for greens.
- 99% don’t eat enough whole grains.
Nearly the entire U.S. population fails to eat enough whole plant foods in general!11
What I love about this soup is even though it’s so delicious there’s not a single unhealthy thing in here! A meal you feel good about nourishing yourself and your family with!
Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
Ingredients
- 1 small/medium red or yellow onion chopped
- 1 carrot sliced
- 2 stalks celery sliced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup uncooked green lentils rinsed
- 1 small/medium-sized unpeeled sweet potato cut in ½ inch cubes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 – 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
Spices
- 1 Tbsp chili powder sub paprika for kid-friendly
- 1 Tbsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt to taste
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- 1/8 tsp black pepper to taste
Stir in after cooking
- 2-3 cups chopped kale stems removed
- 3 tsp lemon juice
For Serving (all optional)
- garnish with chopped parsley
- dollop of vegan sour cream
- avocado slices
- side of crusty bread
Instructions
- In the Instant Pot or a large stockpot, sauté onions, carrots, and celery until onions soften. Press “cancel” on Instant Pot or turn off heat on stovetop and stir in garlic.
- Add in all of the rest of the ingredients except for kale and lemon juice.
- For the Instant Pot: seal lid and close pressure valve. Cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes, allowing a full natural release. It takes about 20 minutes to get up to pressure and about 25 to naturally release.
- For the stovetop: bring everything to a boil and cover pot with lid. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until lentils and sweet potato are soft. Option to add 1 more cup of water or vegetable broth if you prefer more liquid.
- Once soup finishes cooking, stir in kale and lemon juice. Taste, adding any more salt or seasoning it may need.
- Enjoy with optional chopped parsley garnish, avocado slices, a dollop of vegan sour cream, and/or a side of crusty bread.
Notes
Did you enjoy this Lentil and Sweet Potato soup? I’d love to hear! Leave me a comment below! 🙂
- https://nutritionfacts.org/video/benefits-of-lentils-and-chickpeas/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5713359/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17284749/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16127235/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23221879/
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sweet-potato-benefits#nutritional-value
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6124841/
- https://nutritionfacts.org/video/relieving-yourself-of-excess-estrogen/
- https://nutritionfacts.org/2015/09/29/where-do-you-get-your-fiber/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2744625/
- https://nutritionfacts.org/2015/09/29/where-do-you-get-your-fiber/
Yummy ! This soup is simply to make . I like to eat this soup in the Winter , when the weather is cold . Heat it , along with some hearty bread . Sweeet !!!
Delicious hardy soup! Great for these cold winter days.