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!
Nisha,
Can you use sweet potatoes already diced from the grocery store?
Sure! I’d estimate about ~10 to 12 ounces of diced sweet potatoes.
This is delicious, would you know the approximate amount of calorie/serving?
This is delicious, would you know approximately the amount of calories per serving?
Thank you for the recipe! I just got my instant pot yesterday and this was the first recipe I made with it, and it turned out great. I read some comments about adding spinach so threw a package of frozen chopped spinach on top, and I just stirred it in at the end with no problem! I reduced the salt to 1/2 teaspoon, so it needed a little salt to taste, and I added roasted salted cashews to serve. Very easy and delicious.
Nisha, this is delicious! It was the first time I have used my instant pot because the idea of pressure cooking scares me. But I am converted! Probably one of the best meals I have ever made. Mine turned out more brown than your pictures, but the taste made up for the funky appearance! Also, I love your YouTube videos and appreciate the content that will help me transition to a more plant based life!
Can’t wait to make this as all of your recipes I’ve made have turned out delicious. However, I am not sure of how much sweet potato I need to add as I don’t what constitutes a ‘medium’ sweet potato. (I have an 8oz and a 15.5 oz)
I made this tonight and it was absolutely. I added a couple handfuls of spinach because I love greens in everything. Thank you for such a great recipe
Is this the same recipe that is on your you tube video for dump and go? The one in video calls for tomatoes and red curry paste and this one has no tomatoes. This one has no coconut milk but video does. Bought ingredients today based on video but now confused based on ingredient list above.
Hi Natalie,
This is a different recipe, which is why you might be confused 🙂
If you are looking for the Thai red curry soup, you can find the blog post here: https://www.rainbowplantlife.com/blog/thai-red-curry-sweet-potato-soup
Silly me!! Thanks Nisha for the clarification. Will try the recipes 🙂
Hi Nisha! What a wonderful recipe! I made this last night and added chopped kale – LOVED IT!!
The notes said it has garam masala but the recipe says to use curry. Can I swap them? I don’t really like curry but love garam masala.
Good catch! I forgot to update the recipe – I fixed it now. But yes, you can use garam masala and omit the curry powder!