1mediumsweet potato, peeled (mine was around 375 grams)
1mediumyellow onion, peeled
1 ½cupssplit red lentils
3-4clovesgarlic, peeled and minced
3-inchpiecefresh ginger, peeled and minced
14.5-ouncecan(428 mL) crushed tomatoes
14.5-ouncecan(428 mL) light coconut milk
4cupswater
2teaspoonsground turmeric
¼teaspooncayenne pepper, or more to taste
1 ½teaspoonsblack mustard seeds
1 ½teaspoonsground cumin
2-3dried curry leaves (optional)
ground black pepper, to taste
2cupstightly packed baby spinach
1lime, juiced
salt, to taste
chopped cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
Set a box grater over/inside your slow cooker insert. Grate the sweet potato directly into the insert. Grate the yellow onion directly into the insert as well.
Rinse the red lentils thoroughly, until they stop foaming up in the strainer. Shake the excess moisture off and transfer them to your slow cooker insert.
To the insert, add the garlic, ginger, crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, water, turmeric, cayenne, mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves, and black pepper. Give it all a good stir. In all honesty it’s going to look sort of gross at this point.
Place the insert into your slow cooker unit, lock the lid on top, and set the cooker to “high.” Let the soup cook for 4 hours.
Once the 4 hours are up, carefully remove the lid and stir the soup up a bit. Add the spinach, lime juice, and enough salt to season to your liking. Stir the soup one more time and lock the lid back on. Keep the soup going on the “high” setting until the spinach is wilted.
Serve the golden lentil soup hot with chopped cilantro.
Equipment
Slow Cooker
Recipe Notes
I only add the salt at the very end because I’m paranoid about adding it early and the lentils becoming tough as a result.
This recipe is naturally oil-free, but I stirred a little coconut oil into the cooker at the end for that lush texture. Not necessary though!
I dropped dollops of coconut milk yogurt on top of our servings and it was heavenly. Highly recommend it!
Go easy on the cayenne if you're sensitive to heat -- ¼ tsp is enough to give it a little kick. Start with less and adjust later if necessary.
Vegetable stock in place of water adds extra depth of flavor here.
To make this on the stove, in a large soup pot sauté the onion in oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, dry spices, and curry leaves and sauté for another 30 seconds. Add the grated sweet potato and lentils and stir to coat in the spices. Add 3 cups of water or vegetable stock and the crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer until the lentils and sweet potato are soft and breaking down. Season with salt and pepper, then add the coconut milk and bring back to a boil. Add the spinach and lime juice and stir until wilted. Add more liquid if needed and adjust seasoning before serving.
A deeply spiced slow cooker lentil soup with grated sweet potato, red lentils, coconut milk & lime. Set it and forget it for 4 hours. Creamy, hearty & pantry-friendly.