Vegan Sweet Potato Red Lentil Soup with Hemp Hearts

A creamy and hearty blend of sweet potatoes, red lentils and hemp hearts, makes this vegan sweet potato red lentil soup perfect for chilly days. Natural sweetness (from sweet potatoes) is rounded out with garlic, ginger and optional apple cider vinegar to cut through the creaminess of the coconut milk. Flavourful and warming, this is a great recipe served as a side or main dish for lunch or dinner during those cold winter months.

Jump to:

• Why this recipe works
• Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
• Important Equipment Notes
• Step By Step Overview
• Storage
• Serving Suggestions
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More Recipes
• Vegan Sweet Potato Red Lentil Soup with Hemp Hearts

Why this recipe works

Like squash, sweet potatoes are one of my favourite vegetables. And while there are many versions of sweet potato red lentil soup, this one is a winner because it is made from simple ingredients, it's dairy-free and made silky with coconut milk. Other variations use dairy-based heavy cream or cashew cream, which can add to the prep time for this recipe.

The creamy texture of this soup is rounded out with heat from ginger and acidity from apple cider vinegar; it's well balanced. I love to serve it with crusty bread or homemade focaccia on a chilly day during the fall or winter season.

Hemp hearts add a unique flavour and creaminess to this soup as well; they're know for their slightly nutty taste which happens to pair well with the other ingredients in this recipe. You can omit the hemp hearts if they aren't available in your area or if you're not a fan—the recipe will taste just as good. Although, the flavour of the hemp hearts doesn't come through strongly in this recipe, you will notice their taste more if you add them on top of the soup as a garnish.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

The ingredient list seems lengthy, but there is fairly minimal prep involved. Other than peeling, dicing and mincing the sweet potatoes and aromatics, the recipe comes together quickly.  The full ingredient list can be found in the recipe card, however, here is an outline of the main ingredients and  substitutions: 

Extra Virgin Olive oil: for frying the aromatics in this recipe, however, you can use avocado, grapeseed oil or any other neutral flavoured oil of your choice. You can also use coconut oil, however, I suggest using a refined coconut oil so it won't impart its flavour to the vegetables.

Yellow Onion, Fresh Garlic, Fresh Ginger Root: these aromatics add depth of flavour and contrast to the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. I prefer to use yellow onion because it is an all around excellent cooking onions for soups and other recipes. You could use a white onion if you prefer, however, I would advise against using red onions because of their strong flavour.

Large Sweet potatoes: peeled and chopped sweet potatoes are the star of the soup and create the base for this recipe and add sweet flavour along with a smooth texture once blended.

Ground turmeric: This adds colour and a mild flavour to this recipe. 

Split red lentils: lentils add plant-based protein and, when blended, help make this a creamy and hearty soup. I wouldn't suggest substituting with another type of lentil (e.g. green lentils or brown lentils) as these will change the texture and colour of the final dish.

Canned diced tomatoes: I like to use fire roasted diced tomatoes for their smoky flavor.

Shelled hemp hearts: These can be omitted if you like, but they add additional pant-protein and a subtle nutty flavour. There are additional notes about hemp hearts in the FAQs below. 

Full-fat coconut milk: this make the soup velvety, creamy and hearty. You can use light coconut milk (sometimes called lite coconut milk) if you prefer.  I would advise against using coconut cream as this will make the soup much too thick. Alternatively, you can use unsweetened almond milk in equal measure, just know that the soup will have a thinner consistency.

Apple cider vinegar: this ingredient is optional, however, the inclusion of this acid helps temper the sweetness and cuts through the creaminess of this soup. If you wish, you could sub the vinegar with fresh squeezed lemon juice or lime juice.

Filtered Water: This recipe does not use vegetable broth, however, if you wish, you could substitute veggie broth in equal measure for filtered water; this will increase the salt in the final recipe.

Sea salt and Black Pepper: For seasoning. This is done to taste after the recipe has been cooked.

Important Equipment Notes

Basic equipment for soup making is needed along with an immersion blender. I prefer using an immersion blender (also called a stick blender) because this recipe makes a fair amount of soup—transferring it to a countertop blender is a lot of work and would need to be done in three or more batches (depending on the size of your particular blender).

Blending hot ingredients in a blender can also be dangerous with the build up of steam inside the blending container or spillage. If you use a regular blender, make sure it has a vented top to allow for steam to escape, otherwise it could cause the piping hot contents to explode out of the blender and cause harm (and a big mess).

Step By Step Overview

Below is a synopsis of how to make my vegan sweet potato red lentil soup. For the full directions, please see the recipe card further down the post.

Step 1: In a large pot or large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat and cook the onions until softened, translucent and slightly browned. Next the garlic, ginger, turmeric is added. Finally, the chopped sweet potatoes, red lentils, diced tomatoes and filtered water go in.

Step 2: The soup is brought to a boil then left to simmer for 25-30 minutes on medium-low heat or until the sweet potatoes and lentils are soft and fully cooked.

Step 3: Add in the hemp hearts and coconut milk and optional apple cider vinegar, then blend using an immersion blender. 

Step 4: Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper as desired. Garnish and serve.

Storage

Storage: this vegan sweet potato soup recipe should be kept covered in the fridge for up to two days.

Freezing: This recipe can be frozen in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months; be sure to allow the soup to cool slightly before portioning it in the storage containers for freezing. Defrost the soup in the fridge and transfer it to a large pot and bring it to a simmer to reheat.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this delicious soup with a sprinkling of hemp hearts, fresh cracked black pepper, or fresh cilantro. For a little kick, you can add a touch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. If you want to omit the apple cider vinegar, you could also serve this soup with lime wedges.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Recipes

If you love my vegan sweet potato red lentil soup recipe you can also try my

creamy vegan leek and potato soup with white beans

Add some warm flavours with my Moroccan-style chickpea and cauliflower soup.

Alternatively, if you prefer a classic, my comforting seven bean stew recipe is a reader favourite. There is also a whole host of other comfort food soup and stew recipes on my blog here.

For more sweet potato recipes, check out my stuffed sweet potatoes with farro and mushrooms or for something sweet, vegan triple chocolate sweet potato cupcakes.

If you made my vegan sweet potato red lentil soup please leave me a comment below with a star rating; it really helps others who are interested in making the recipe. For more from The Simple Green, follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest. Consider becoming a subscriber to receive emails of new recipes and posts.