This Instant Pot Spiced Red Lentil Sweet Potato Soup is one of my favorite easy recipes, and it’s one that you all like so much too!
It’s a creamy and thick spiced soup that gets its natural creaminess from red lentils and sweet potatoes. No coconut milk needed to thicken it up because red lentils get mushy when cooked, plus the Instant Pot melts the sweet potatoes into the soup.
For a visual on how to make this recipe, check out the video on Youtube! It’s the first recipe in the video and starts around the 00:55 mark.
Why you’re going to like this recipe
10 main ingredients. Okay, I’m not counting oil, salt and pepper. But yeah, 10 main ingredients, yay!
Weeknight-friendly. It requires just 5 minutes of hands-on cooking, so it’s definitely an easy option for those busy weeknights.
Hearty yet wholesome. This recipe is hearty and comforting, the kind of soup that’s more stew than soup and that’s super satisfying, thanks to its creamy texture, the protein-packed lentils, and the complex carbs from the sweet potatoes. This makes it a great meal for the whole family!
Perfectly spiced. If you’re tired of the same old meals, this is a recipe to try! It features Indian spices but it’s still very accessible and doable, even for novice cooks. The Indian spices pair perfectly with the red lentils (a classic combo), and are balanced nicely by the sweetness of the sweet potatoes.
This recipe is super easy to make so there’s not much to say, but keep in mind that this soup is quite thick and creamy, almost like a stew or dal. If you prefer a soupy texture, just add more vegetable broth or water.
You can add the extra broth/water before pressure cooking (in step 3), or after pressure cooking once you see the finished texture so you can add as much liquid as needed.
More Really Good Soups
- Mediterranean Lentil Soup
- Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Sausage and Kale
- Creamy White Bean Soup with Kale and Gremolata
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup
If you give this Instant Pot Spiced Red Lentil Sweet Potato Soup a try, be sure to tag me on Instagram with your recreations and please comment with your feedback below!
Introducing
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Instant Pot Spiced Red Lentil Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or oil of choice)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated or minced ginger
- 1 serrano pepper, diced (optional, adds some heat)
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon curry powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into a large dice
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed until the water runs clear
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth*
- 1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt + more to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup (optional)
- For serving (optional): coconut yogurt, fresh cilantro, and flatbread or rice
Instructions
- Select the Sauté setting on your Instant Pot and heat up the coconut oil. Once it’s shimmering, add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until slightly softened.
- Add the garlic, ginger, serrano pepper (if using), garam masala, curry powder (if using), cumin, and turmeric and stir until aromatic, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the vegetable broth to deglaze the pot, using a wooden spoon or scraper to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the lentils, sweet potatoes, sea salt, and pepper. Stir to combine all of the ingredients. Select the Cancel setting.
- Secure the lid of the Instant Pot and seal. Select the Pressure Cook (or Manual, depending on your model) setting and cook at high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Once the 10 minutes is up, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes before switching the pressure release valve from Sealing to Venting. Open the Instant Pot and give the soup a stir. Taste for seasonings. You may want to add more salt, or to balance the acidity, you may want to add a teaspoon or two of maple syrup or sugar.
- Once the soup has slightly cooled, top with coconut yogurt and fresh cilantro. If desired, serve with flatbread or rice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this? Leave a rating below!
This was lovely! Quickest soup I ‘ve made, and I even think I prefered it before adding the honey and a squeeze of lemon in the end. Didn’t even have yoghurt on top, just parsley. We thoroughly enjoyed it warm despite the summer heat, thanks for the recipe!
We’re over the moon to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Kat. Thanks for your kind words!
This was very tasty but sweeter than I would prefer. I will leave out the maple syrup next time.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us, Miriam. Your review is much appreciated.
This was delicious! Added some chickpeas, spinach and shredded cabbage as I had some I needed to use and it all tasted great!
D, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
Delicious!! I added 1/2 cup of TVP (more protein) before I set the timer and some spinach at the end. Perfection! Thanks!
Thanks for sharing, Terra!
So delicious, my kids loved it too! So grateful when my kids l eat what I made, thank you!
Hi Angelina, it’s great to hear you had success with the recipe. Thanks for the review!
This was so incredibly tasty. Definitely going to be making this again
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Sai!
Wow, this was delicious. I skipped frying the spices, and instead just threw in the lentils, sweet potatoes, and powdered spices and cooked. Then stirred in some kale after it was done, since I have a bunch of extra kale.
Even with these skipped steps and modifications, it is soooo good!
Hi there, thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed the soup.
I made this in a dutch oven to use some already roasted sweet potatoes. Cooked everything but them following the recipe then put them in the dish to heat through. They gave a distinctively caramelized tone to the dish that balanced the heat.
We’re so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Evan! 🙂
Lovely! I always double the recipes to freeze a few portions.
In this particular one, I find that twice as much curry and turmeric is too much, and it overpowers the whole thing.
Also, what curry powder do you use?
There are so many variations of curry powder, and it makes a huge difference!
Thanks
Great to hear you loved this recipe, Andres! If you see a bottle labeled Madras curry powder, that is our preference has a little more heat than standard curry powder blends. Our go-to brand is this one.
Mesmerizing.
You’re lovely….oh, so…lovely.
And, by the way, this soup is delicious. : )
If I wanted to add cashew cream or sunflower seed cream, do you think just adding after cooking will work fine?
Hi Tim, yes, just add it to the IP while the soup is warm so the cashew cream can melt into the soup! You may need to add a bit of water, as it will thicken the soup considerably.
Fantastic flavor! I used red potatoes, carrots, and collard greens in place of sweet potatoes. It was good and hearty.
Thanks for sharing, Jonelle!
Oh, I also adapted it to stove top as I do not have a pressure cooker.
Quick and delicious! This will be going in the monthly rotation of weeknight meals.
That’s wonderful to hear, Rachel! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Good afternoon, I want to try this but don’t have an InstaPot could you please give me instructions using slow cooker thank you looks delicious.
Hi Henrietta, we haven’t tried making this in a slow cooker ourselves (and aren’t familiar with slow cookers at all), but this would be our best guess:
1. Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add the coconut oil.
2. Add the onion and cook for about 4 to 6 minutes until softened.
3. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, and sauté for another minute or so until fragrant.
4. Stir in the garam masala, curry powder, ground cumin, and ground turmeric. Cook the spices with the onions for another minute to toast them slightly, stirring frequently.
5. Into the slow cooker, pour in the contents of that saute pan along with the rinsed red lentils, sweet potatoes, and vegetable broth. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
6. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 6-8 hours or until the lentils and sweet potatoes are tender.
7. Keep the slow cooker on and add the coconut milk and stir. Let the soup heat up for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
8. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, you can carefully transfer the soup to a blender in batches to blend until smooth and then return it to the pot.
Hope this helps!
This was super easy and fast, and the flavor is fantastic!! I’m going to put it over some rice and hope that I can get my kids on board with healthier, more plant-based meals!
Hi Erin, Thank you so much for such a fantastic review! Appreciate you taking the time, and best of luck with getting the kids to eat healthier meals! 🙂
This was delicious! I had some spinach almost on its last legs so I threw it in the instant pot after it was done. I’ll be making this again!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Jeanine!
AMAZING
Carrie, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
Made this yummy soup during a snow day and it was super-delicious and comforting. I skipped the oil and maple syrup and added a carrot. Enjoyed it with some homemade soy yogurt. It will keep me nourished and warm on cold winter days. Thank you, Nisha!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Jamie!
Oh, I also added spinach!
I don’t normally like sweet potato, but I gave this a try while on a soft food diet. I loved it! The texture, the flavor, the nutrition, even the color were all wonderful.
Thanks for the lovely review, Mary!
soup was delicious! is this freezer friendly?
That’s lovely to hear, Sydney! And yes, it is! We like freezing our soups in individual portions in these souper cubes for easy defrosting of single portions later. Cheers!