This Vegan Lentil Sweet Potato Curry Soup is comforting, flavorful and perfect for a weeknight dinner! Even your non-vegetarian family and friends will go back for seconds.
This post is sponsored by Le Creuset. All opinions are our own.
I've said this many times before, but there is truly no weeknight meal I love more than soup. Even during the hottest weeks of summer, I can't resist the allure of a simple, one-pot soup. It's typically very easy to make, and there are always leftovers for the next day's lunch.
Plus, since my husband and I have different dietary preferences (I'm mostly vegan, he's not), soup is an easy dish to bridge that gap. More often than not, he doesn't mind option for a vegan soup. And if he really wants to add meat, he can cook it separately and add it in at the end.
This Vegan Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry Soup is one of his favorites. It's packed with flavorful, warming spices, hearty lentils and some leafy greens for good measure. Sweet potatoes add a bit of bulk, and tomatoes add the perfect amount of acidity and deep flavor.
Even if you think you don't like lentils, try this soup! If you really don't like lentils, you can always sub with chickpeas, but I think you'll love this either way.
The best part? This Curry Lentil Soup is great for leftovers. If you don't think you'll eat it right away, freeze it and reheat on a rainy (or snowy) day in the future. My husband loves taking this to work. He eats it with some crusty sourdough bread –– the perfect lunch!
What kind of lentils should I use?
While red and yellow lentils are well suited for a puréed lentil soup, they don't hold up well in this kind of soup. Opt instead for brown or green lentils, which hold their shape. You don't want to end up with a pile of mush!
We opt for French green lentils in this recipe. They’re smaller, darker in color, and more flavorful than regular green lentils. I love the texture that they add to this soup, but if you can't find any, regular green lentils will be fine.
How to build a flavorful soup base
The key to this soup is adding plenty of flavor to the base. Don't worry –– there aren't a ton of crazy ingredients –– just a few high quality flavor enhancers.
The base starts with onion, garlic and ginger, sautéed until browned, tender and super flavorful.
Tomato paste is one of my favorite ingredients for soup. It adds SO much delicious concentrated tomato flavor. Just be sure to buy high quality paste (the stuff that comes in a tube). It makes all the difference!
When it comes to spices, we're keeping it pretty simple with yellow curry powder and a dash of cinnamon. Again, opt for a high quality curry powder, which will deliver plenty of flavor.
Mild curry will be a bit milder (duh!), while madras curry powder will add a spicy punch. Choose whichever you prefer!
In addition to vegetable broth, full-fat coconut milk is a wonderful addition. It adds creaminess, depth and a just a touch of coconut that pairs perfectly with the curry powder.
To add more vegetables, we opted for peeled and diced sweet potato and leafy kale. There are plenty of other vegetables you could add or substitute. We'd opt for cauliflower, regular potatoes instead of sweet potatoes, carrots, zucchini, etc.
The only soup pot you need in your life
For someone that makes soup as often as I do, there's no piece of kitchen equipment I use more than my Le Creuset Dutch Oven. (Except for maybe my blender.)
If you already have a Le Creuset Signature Dutch Oven, you know what I mean. It's enameled cast iron (which means yes, it's heavy), but it holds up for years and years (seriously, decades!). I truly believe every single kitchen needs a Le Creuset Dutch Oven. Very much worth the investment!
Cast iron distributes heat evenly and retains heat perfectly. The enameled surface also prevents sticking, and there's no need to season these pans unlike other cast iron. You can read more about Le Creuset Dutch Ovens here!
I adore this color. It's a gorgeous matte white that I would imagine looks great in just about any kitchen. But I also love some of their brighter colors. You can choose from 15+ color options here!
More Vegan Soup Recipes
- Vegetable-packed Minestrone Soup
- White Bean Kale Soup
- Super Green Vegetable Soup
- Creamy Cauliflower Soup
- Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup
If you make this Vegan Lentil Sweet Potato Curry Soup, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.
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Lentil Sweet Potato Curry Soup
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Lentil Sweet Potato Curry Soup is comforting, flavorful and perfect for a weeknight dinner! Even your non-vegetarian family and friends will go back for seconds.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 ½ tbsp grated, fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp curry powder
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 ½ cups dry French green lentils*
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 13.5 oz can full fat coconut milk
- 1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 bunch lacinato kale, chopped or torn
- For garnish: cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a dutch oven over medium and add olive oil.
- Add onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until translucent. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for a few more minutes. (Be careful not to let garlic burn.) Add tomato paste and stir well.
- Add curry powder, cinnamon and salt and stir to coat. Add remaining ingredients except for kale and stir.
- Increase heat, bring soup to a boil, then reduce to low and let simmer for 25-30 minutes, until sweet potatoes and lentils are tender.
- Add kale, stir well and let wilt for a minute or two. Serve with fresh cilantro (optional).
Notes
*If you're unable to find French green lentils, opt for regular green or brown lentils.
- Category: Soups
- Method: Stovetop
Keywords: curry lentil soup
Grace
This soup was incredible! I've already shared it with friends. Thank you!
★★★★★
Lexi
Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed!
Eric
Instantly on my top-5 list!
★★★★★
Lexi
So glad to hear that! Thanks so much!
Carrie
I love this recipe. I’ve made it three times now and it’s a house favorite. I add a little bit more of the spices (cinnamon, curry) and a hint of black pepper to make it really rich!
★★★★★
Lexi
Hi Carrie, love to hear that!! So glad you enjoyed!
Jeanne Rademacher
I LOVE THIS ONE
★★★★★
Claire
Excellent recipe. Added some cumin, turmeric and cardamom on the spice front and a carrot. And realized too late I got canned coconut cream instead of coconut milk! highly recommend making that mistake. Will make again 🙂
★★★★★
Lexi
Thanks so much, Claire! Love the additions, especially the cardamom!
Marcy
Delicious!
My family loved it. So easy!
Will definitely make again and again
★★★★★
Lexi
Thanks so much, Marcy! So glad to hear that!
Mona
I made this Lentil Sweet Potato Curry Soup yesterday. It was so good and very easy to make. Thanks for your recipes. I will be making more of your recipes. I am trying to eat healthier and eventually become Vegan.
★★★★★
Lexi
Thanks so much, Mona! So glad you enjoyed!
Mona
I give this recipe five stars!!
★★★★★
Mona
I made this Lentil Sweet Potato Curry Soup yesterday. It was so delicious and very easy to make. Thanks for your recipes. I will be using more of your recipes in the future. I am trying to eat healthier and eventually become Vegan!!
RK
This looks amazing! Quick question....if making a day ahead, should I add kale when prepping, or should I add when reheating to serve to my guests the next day?
Lexi
Hi! If you don't mind, it's probably better to add the kale right before serving. But it will still be perfectly fine if you add it in the day before, too! Hope you enjoy!
Cami
I don’t have a le creuset. Can I use my all clad soup pot for this? Thanks!
Lexi
Hi Cami, yes, that should work perfectly fine! Hope you enjoy!
Julie
Outstanding flavors! Thanks for posting this hearty soup recipe. I made it exactly as indicated in the directions. I can't wait to enjoy it for lunch in the coming days.
★★★★★
Lexi
Thank you so much, Julie! So glad you like the recipe. Have a great week! 🙂
Denise
On point this was delicious
★★★★★
Lexi
Thank you so much, Denise! So glad to hear that!
Brian
This looks delicious. I saw it on the Le Creuset YouTube channel. I'm going to get the ingredients and make the soup this week. Thanks for sharing your recipe. BTW, I noticed your silver spoon. I have the same pattern (Adoration), passed down by my grandmother. Thanks again!
★★★★★
Lexi
So glad to hear that, Brian! Hope you enjoy! And yes - love those spoons. We use them all the time in our photos - so beautiful! Thanks so much for your comment and have a great week.