Easy vegan red lentil and sweet potato soup: Flavorful and filling for cold autumn and winter nights

Those cold winter nights are closing up on us and there is nothing better than a warm, flavorful yet filling soup to make those nights perfect. Why not try this spicy (if you like) red lentil and sweet potato soup. This is an easy to make soup that everyone can put together and it’s pretty hard to mess up (just remember to stir once in a while and keep the temperature on medium heat).

A warm, spicy soup with earthy vegetables gives the body that long lasting heat that is needed to keep energy levels up on a cold or rainy day. There is no denying one of my favorite choices is the mix between red lentils and sweet potato. A lot because of the warm, orange color it creates too.

A soup for energy

This is truly a soup for energy which is exactly what you need on a dark and cold day. With a base of sweet potatoes, potatoes, and red lentils, topped with a delightful mix of spices this is a real health bomb.

Just to give you an idea, here are some of the health benefits of a few of the goodies this soup includes. Remember, that for the best nutritious result, you should always aim for ecologically grown food.

Benefits of sweet potato

Sweet potatoes are a real super food. They’re packed with beta carotene and other antioxidants, high in vitamin C, E, and D, as well as iron, manganese, and potassium.

The latter helps lower blood pressure, but this sweet root is also said to relax muscles and steady nerves, which turns it into an anti-stress treat.

Sweet potatoes contain phytochelatins. These are compounds that bind to heavy metals and safely remove them through the body. They may also help to prevent cancer types like breast cancer, colon cancer, skin- and lung cancer.

Benefits of potatoes

Potatoes as often misinterpreted and thought to be a dull, useless food by many. But that’s so wrong. Potatoes are packed with antioxidants which can reduce the risk of different chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

The resistant starch in potatoes feeds the beneficial gut bacteria, which turns it into short-chain fatty acid butyrate. What is that, you might ask. Well, this may strengthen the colon, reduce inflammation and the risk of colorectal cancer. Its resistant starch has many health benefits, like reducing insulin resistance and improving blood sugar control.

Benefits of turmeric (mixed with black pepper)

The most active compound in turmeric is curcumin which has countless health benefits. It can work as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and can prevent heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s. It’s also said to combat symptoms of depression and arthritis.

But eating turmeric alone, doesn’t mean your body takes up all the goodies in the curcumin. Actually, most of it just flushes straight through your system.

Luckily, there is a way. By mixing it with piperine, it can boost the intake of curcumin in your body with upto 2000%. Yes, there are three zero’s. Piperine is found in black pepper.

That’s why I always add black pepper in the foods where I use turmeric and you should too. You don’t need much pepper to see the benefits of the curcumin. You can read more about this here.

How to prepare this easy vegan red lentil and sweet potato soup

This is such an easy soup to prepare. Simply add one and one ingredient to the water in the order described and it will make itself. The reason I start with the sweet potato is that it’s a pretty hard root and takes the longest to cook. For quicker cooking, chop it in smaller cubes.

If you want, you can skin the potatoes, but I like to keep in on since it’s where most of the nutrients are hiding. I do skin the sweet potato, though. But that’s just preference. There are plenty of nutrients in the skin that’s worth keeping in this delicious, healthy soup.

If you like the taste of ginger, grate it in large pieces, if not, grate it small so it melts in with the rest of the flavors and you won’t even notice it.

How to serve red lentil and sweet potato soup

I really like to eat this soup as is, but for those who prefer a creamy soup without the vegetable pieces, can easily take out some of the broth and mix it with a stave mixer. Add more broth if you want it thinner as you go.

The savory broth is delightful, filling and flavorsome, so don’t throw it away, it can easily be used as sauce for rice and veggies! Mix it together with newly cooked red lentils and it’s the perfect sauce!

On the other hand, if you like it as is, left overs tend to be less watery and it turns into a delightful stew as the potato and sweet potato suck up the liquid. I love that left over stew. It makes a different dish but with the same amazing flavor you don’t want to stop eating. And it’s true, that the longer you let the flavors sit, the tastier it becomes.

Another option is to add more water, half a cube of vegetable stock, and maybe a tiny bit of chili and you’re set for day two of heavenly soup.

It’s also easy to freeze the soup for later if you want to save some for a day you can’t be bothered cooking or you want something healthy to bring for lunch at work.

Round off your meal with a delicious vegan banana bread.

You might also like:

• Vegan stuffed eggplant
• Spinach and mushroom pizza with white garlic sauce
• Ravioli in creamy vegan white wine sauce

Like it? Pin it for later!