Sweet Potato, Coconut and Red Lentil Soup

Recipe and Image by Josie Taylor aka The Fresh Ginger

This plant-based soup recipe is vibrant, cuddly and balanced containing all the good things. Cooked, root vegetables like sweet potato can help curb sugar cravings and ground us when we’re at our most chaotic.

To get the biggest bang of flavour, it’s worth sourcing whole coriander seeds here instead of the ground powder. Aside from losing a little of its warm autumnal colour, this soup will freeze well in big pot batches.

Makes 4-6 portions

Vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp. oil – coconut, light olive oil or rapeseed

2 medium white onions, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 ½ tbsp. whole coriander seeds

1kg sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes

½ cup of red lentils

1 L vegetable stock or bouillon

200mL coconut milk

1 lime, juiced

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.

2. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring often to avoid burning, until they are translucent, sticky and starting to caramelise at the edges (about 10 minutes). Taking your time with this process will give you with a strong flavour base.

3. Add the crushed garlic and whole coriander seeds. Add a splash more oil if the mix is too dry. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, until fragrant.

4. In a fine sieve, rinse the red lentils under a tap until the water runs clear. This should prevent any claggy-ness in your soup.

4. Add the sweet potato pieces and lentils, cook for a further 1-2 minutes.

5. Add the stock. It should cover the sweet potato and lentils. Top up with boiling water if it doesn’t.

6. Cook until the sweet potatoes and lentils are soft and tender, about 20 minutes.

7. Take the soup off the heat and add half a tin (200mL) of coconut milk, the juice of one lime and some salt.

8. Blend the soup in a high-power blender for 1 - 2 minutes. You may need to do this in batches. A lengthy puree will make the soup super creamy. If you’d like a thinner soup, add some extra water.

9. Combine the blended soup in a fresh pot. Check seasoning and serve with chopped coriander or basil and roasted nuts and seeds. 

Josie Taylor (AKA the Fresh Ginger) is a London-based healthy food creative, cook, presenter and writer. She believes in nourishment without neurosis.

http://thefreshginger.co | @thefreshginger | facebook.com/thefreshgingerjosie

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