This sweet potato and red lentil soup with peanut butter is mildly spicy with Thai flavors. It is blended into a thick and creamy vegan soup that is great for weight loss and gut health.
The Thai red curry sweet potato and lentil soup is spiced with ground ginger, and a Thai red curry paste then garnished with fresh cilantro.
I created this lentil and sweet potato soup for myself as sweet potato and cilantro were listed as superfoods on my Viome gut test.
Sweet potato contains saponins which increase the diversity and abundance of beneficial bacteria that produce butyrate. The saponins can also decrease inflammation and modulate inflammatory pathways that regulate the immune response.
The Viome gut test recommended sweet potato for me to help improve my inflammatory activity score.
Cilantro is a wonderful herb for detox and gut health. The polyphenols in cilantro encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria and inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria.
I also used homemade sesame seed milk to make this sweet potato soup with peanut butter extra creamy and nutritious.
Sesame seeds are an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc.
During pregnancy, my iron levels plummeted and have been low since breastfeeding. Iron is a crucial nutrient for growing babies, so I wanted to include iron-rich foods in my diet to help maintain and boost my iron levels. Since sesame seeds are a rich source of iron, I have been making homemade sesame seed milk to use in smoothies and this red lentil sweet potato soup.
The addition of sesame seed milk results in a creamy, vegan sweet potato soup, but if you don’t want to make homemade sesame seed milk, you can substitute it with coconut milk or vegetable stock.
But if you want to support your immune system, build healthy bones and prevent magnesium deficiency, I recommend using sesame seed milk in this sweet potato recipe. Magnesium deficiency is associated with obesity and insulin resistance and is the most common nutrient deficiency.
Zinc is an essential nutrient for the immune system and boosts the production and utilization of glutathione, a crucial antioxidant, and detoxifier of harmful substances.
Both magnesium and calcium are crucial nutrients to support healthy bones. As you can see, the addition of sesame seed milk is highly beneficial for the body.
Tips for making this sweet potato and red lentil soup
This sweet potato and red lentil soup is easy to make, although it does require some cooking time. I made this soup in a slow cooker, but a big soup pot is just as good. Although I find a slow cooker handy with kids, you can walk away and forget about it without worrying about burning anything.
Start by rinsing the red lentils in a colander to strain off the extra starch and contaminants. Soaking the red lentils for 8-12 hours beforehand is beneficial to release enzyme inhibitors and promote better digestion, but this step is optional.
Place the red lentils in a slow cooker with vegetable stock and start cooking while you prepare the rest of the soup.
Peel the sweet potatoes, chop them into 1-inch rounds, and place them into a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Peeling the sweet potato results in an ultra-creamy sweet potato soup. Strain the water once they are finished cooking.
Chop one onion and saute in a pan with olive oil for 10 minutes.
Make the homemade sesame seed milk by blending ¾ cup sesame seeds with 4 cups of water in a high-speed blender for one minute. Strain the sesame milk through a nut milk bag into a large bowl.
Add all the ingredients to the red lentils in the slow cooker, then blend using an immersion blender.
This red lentil sweet potato soup is thick and creamy. Feel free to add an extra cup of vegetable stock for a thinner consistency.
Serve the thai red curry sweet potato and lentil soup with fresh chopped cilantro. You can also add fresh cracked pepper and salt to taste.
Also, be sure to sign up for my gut health guide and gain access to my FREE resource library with recipe E-books gut health and weight loss.
Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup
Equipment
- slow cooker
- frying pan
- immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry red lentils
- 6 cups sweet potato
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 3 cups sesame seed milk
- 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 4 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 onion
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 3 cups sesame seed milk
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Rinse dried red lentil in a colander under running water then place in the slow cooker with 4 cups vegetable stock. (2 vegetable stock cubes with 4 cups water). Turn the slow cooker on high to start cooking.
- Peel and chop the sweet potatoes then place in a pot covered with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Stain the excess water then add to the slow cooker.
- Dice one onion and saute in a pan with coconut oil for 10 minutes.
- Add all the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and blend using an immersion blender. Garnish each bowl of soup with fresh chopped cilantro.
Notes
You may also like this Thai carrot soup recipe!
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