Enjoy a bowl of this healthy lentil soup with red lentils, sweet potatoes, apples and quinoa seeds! Drizzle this filling fall-inspired soup with my refreshing and tangy cilantro & lime cream to take your soup game to the next level!
This healthy Lentil Soup with Quinoa and Sweet Potatoes is a heartwarming fall-inspired soup, fuelling and comforting with a burst of freshness from a cilantro and lime sour cream drizzle. Flavored with smoky cumin and cilantro, sweetened with sweet potato and fresh apples, then spiked up with sour cream drizzle, this easy healthy lentil soup is like a Mexican take on a creamy fall soup!
Soup is really a comfort food for me right now. I can’t deny our Fall has been as pleasant as can be so far, but that still means a nice hearty bowl of soup absolutely cheers me up! And this quinoa sweet potato lentil soup is just what the doctor ordered today 🙂
Why this recipe for Healthy Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Quinoa works:
This healthy lentil soup is as easy as a one-pot meal and very straightforward made from simple fresh ingredients! And the best thing? This creamy fall-inspired soup can be ready in 20 mins! I mean, how could you resist?
I love the sweetness of sweet potatoes combined with the red lentils. As un-classical as this combo sounds, the sweetness of the potatoes and the creamy nutty taste of red lentil are a match made in heaven! By adding quinoa, we incorporate more nutty flavours along with an extra portion of protein into this filling, healthy red lentil soup.
I love spicing up this healthy lentil soup with cumin and oregano, almost making it feel like a Mexican inspired soup. The smokiness of cumin with the lentils is a perfect match which gets cut with the sweetness of the sweet potatoes
One last ingredient I always add to this healthy lentil soup, is an apple or a pear. Ok so this ingredient isn’t necessarily to make my soup an apple tasting or pear tasting soup, but the sweetness and texture of either one, when added to any pureed type soup, is u-n-b-e-a-t-a-b-l-e!
How to make this healthy Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Quinoa:Â
Preheat a pot over medium-high heat with the olive oil and fry the onions and sweet bell peppers with some salt until the veggies are tender and slightly caramelized. Add in the garlic and cilantro and saute on medium-high heat for a minute more, before seasoning with the cumin and oregano.
Toss in the sweet potatoes, apples, lentils, quinoa, stock and toss everything together. Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Then lower the heat to medium-low and let the soup cook for about 20 mins until the sweet potatoes are tender, lentils and quinoa are cooked.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup or serve your healthy lentil soup chunky if desired
How to make the Sour Cream Drizzle:
Now I have to mention the sour cream lime drizzle for a minute. Because really it’s like a breath of fresh air, so refreshing and vibrant that it makes this comforting healthy lentil soup burst with zest in your mouth!
It’s simply sour cream, plenty of lime juice, plenty of minced cilantro, a pinch of salt and all warmed up in the microwave for a few seconds. The microwave also thins it out to a nice pourable consistency.
Tips for success:
- For a vegan lentil soup, skip the sour cream and use a drizzle of lime juice and chopped cilantro stirred into a dollop of coconut cream.
- Replace the apple with a pear, or, if need be, with a tsp of maple syrup or honey!
- Puree the red lentil soup until smooth or leave it slightly chunky! It’s up to you.
Do you remember this cauliflower hazelnut pear soup or this Mediterranean pear cinnamon squash soup? If you haven’t made those yet, HELLO it’s the perfect season to make them now!
Quinoa Sweet Potato Lentil Soup
Enjoy a bowl of this healthy lentil soup with red lentils, sweet potatoes, apples and quinoa seeds! Drizzle this filling fall-inspired soup with my refreshing and tangy cilantro & lime cream to your soup game to the next level!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion minced
- 1 small yellow bell pepper minced
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro , minced
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 3 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 small apple cored and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa seeds
- 2/3 cup red lentils uncooked
- 5 cups vegetable stock
- 1/8 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped finely
For the sour cream drizzle:
- 3 tablespoons sour cream (any fat concentration ) --omit if vegan
- 2 tablespoons cilantro finely chopped
- 1 lime juiced ( about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
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Preheat a pot over medium-high heat with the olive oil.
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Add in the onions and sweet bell peppers, season with salt and sauté for medium-high mins until the veggies are tender and slightly caramelized.
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Add in the garlic and cilantro and medium-high for a minute more, add in the cumin and oregano and saute for a few seconds.
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Then add in the sweet potatoes, apples, lentils, quinoa, stock and toss everything together.
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Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Then lower the heat to medium-low and let the soup cook for about 20 mins until the sweet potatoes are tender, lentils and quinoa are cooked.
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Use an immersion blender to puree the soup or serve it chunky if desired.
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To make the sour cream drizzle--mix all ingredients medium-high in a bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds until the drizzle is warm and the consistency is pourable.
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Drizzle about a tablespoon of sour cream drizzle on top of each bowl of soup and serve.
Recipe Notes
- For a vegan lentil soup, skip the sour cream and use a drizzle of lime juice and chopped cilantro stirred into a dollop of coconut cream.
- Replace the apple with a pear, or, if need be, with a tsp of maple syrup or honey!
- Puree the red lentil soup until smooth or leave it slightly chunky! It's up to you.
Wonderful soup and so healthy. We had something very similar to this at a Le Pain Quotidien. Could this have been your inspiration? They supposedly added Kale, but it was similar in color to yours. Thank you for the recipe!
That soup looks amazing. I absolutely love the flavors. This is something that my whole family will enjoy. Can’t wait to give this a try.
Great Natalie!
Love the one pot soup/meal. This is just so perfect for the fall. I love quinoa but my husband is not a big fan of it. Recipes like this would help me hide the quinoa for him.
I know quinoa soup taste good with tomatoes and onions. Never had with sweet potatoes, will try this for sure!
You got me at making it vegan style. I am trying to lose pregnancy weight and so eating very healthy. Quinoa is staple in my diet. I love this recipe. I am definitely making it for my dinner tomorrow.
What a wonderfully hearty and comforting dish! I wish I had a bowl of this for lunch…it’s a perfect day for creamy lentil soup!
Thanks Catherine!
That sour cream drizzle is EVERYTHING!! I love the added fiber from the quinoa. What a great one bowl dinner!
Thanks!!
We eat lots of quinoa and we love lentils — I haven’t thought of combining, though. I think the combination of the sweet potatoes and the final addition of an apple or pear is interesting. I would love to taste it especially with the addition of the heat in the peppers.
This is really the best combo!
I love lentils and I love that you added quinoa to the lentil soup. Sounds so yum. Perfect one bowl meal for us really. A side salad and I’m in heaven.
Thanks Veena!
I can not get enough soup this season! I love sweet potatoes and quinoa but never had them in a soup together before – delicious!
Us too Lauren!!
what a healthy combination of flavors in one soup I think everyone would love this in our family.
Wow, that is such a hearty and healthy soup. Love that you added quinoa right into the soup – adds protein and substance. Yumm!!
Thanks Pavani!!
I’m always looking for new ways to use quinoa…I can’t believe I’ve never thought to use it in soup before! This soup looks so warm and comforting, and perfect for this dreary weather we’ve been having here lately
Karyl, you’ll really love quinoa in soups!
Thank you Cecilie! This is really one of my favorite soups–hope you try it soon and enjoy!:) Plus it’s GF and Vegan so double bonus for you!:)