🥘 Ingredients
- red lentils 1 cup
- large yellow onion 2 cup
- sweet potatoes 20 oz
- extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp
- Diamond
- garlic cloves 4
- fresh ginger 1 tbsp
- serrano or jalapeño pepper ½
- tomato paste 2 tbsp
- ras el hanout 1 tbsp
- ground coriander ½ tsp
- ground cumin ½ tsp
- low-sodium vegetable broth 4 cup
- water 1 cup
- bay leaf 1
- Freshly
- Several
- cilantro leaves and tender stems 1 handful
- fresh mint 1 handful
- creamy coconut yogurt ½ cup
- Flatbread to serve 4
No need to be precise about the sweet potato shape; just make sure that they are small-diced so that they fully soften in the time allotted. If you want precise instructions on how to finely dice a sweet potato, here they are: Using a sharp knife, cut the peeled sweet potato in half crosswise. Cut side down, slice from top to bottom into 4 to 5 planks (depending how thick the sweet potato is); the planks should be about ¼ inch (.6 cm) in thickness. Stack two planks on top of one another, then cut them lengthwise into ~¼-inch (.6 cm) strips. Then cut the strips crosswise into small (¼-inch / .6 cm) cubes. This adds a subtle heat. If you want spicy, use 1 pepper. If using sea salt or Morton’s kosher salt, use 1 1/4 tsp. If using table salt, use 1 tsp. Storage: Store just the soup (separate from the mint and coconut yogurt/olive oil) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. Reheat the soup in a saucepan over low heat, adding a splash of water or broth to loosen. Assemble as listed in the last step right before serving. Storage: Got more leftovers? This soup is freezer-friendly! It will stay good for 3 to 4 months. Store it in single-serve portions and defrost it in the fridge. For quicker defrosting, I recommend these Souper Cubes.
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1Gather: red lentils , large yellow onion , sweet potatoes , extra virgin olive oil , Diamond Crystal kosher salt, garlic cloves , fresh ginger , serrano or jalapeño pepper , tomato paste , ras el hanout , ground coriander , ground cumin , low-sodium vegetable broth , water , bay leaf , Freshly cracked black pepper, Several squeezes of fresh lemon juice. For the for serving:: cilantro leaves and tender stems , fresh mint , creamy coconut yogurt , Flatbread to serve 4 .
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2Add the red lentils to a bowl, cover with water, and soak for 20 minutes . Multitasking: In the meantime, prep the onion and sweet potatoes (I prep the garlic, ginger, and green chiles, if using, while the onions cook). After 20 minutes, drain the lentils and rinse with fresh water.
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3Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the onion with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. If the onions brown too quickly, add a splash of water and/or lower the heat a touch. Multitasking: If you feel comfortable multitasking, you can use this time to prep the garlic, ginger, and green chiles if using.
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4Add the garlic, ginger, green chiles if using, and tomato paste. Stir almost constantly for 2 minutes , stirring the tomato paste into the aromatics. Add the ras el hanout, coriander, and cumin. Stir constantly for 30 seconds. If it starts to dry out, add a splash of water to deglaze the pan.
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5Add the finely diced sweet potatoes, lentils, vegetable broth, water, bay leaf, 2 tsp of kosher salt (see Note 3), and several cracks of pepper.
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6Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are soft and the sweet potatoes are tender and have softened, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and scoop out the bay leaf. NOTE: If the sweet potatoes still have some bite, simmer for another 5 minutes or until they're tender.
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7Add an immersion blender to the pot and start on low speed. Blend roughly half of the soup until it’s thicker and creamy but some texture still remains. Don’t blend it all! If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully transfer roughly half of the soup to a stand blender. Remove the center cap and replace it with a dish towel to allow venting, and blend until pureed. Stir the puree back into the soup.
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8Add several squeezes of lemon juice and the cilantro to the soup. Taste, adding salt or pepper as needed. Serve in bowls and garnish with a dollop or two of yogurt, a drizzle or two of extra virgin olive oil, and the chopped mint. If desired, serve with flatbread on the side.