Sweet Potato Lentil Split Pea Soup. Beautiful flavors and an amazing combination of ingredients make this soup the perfect comforting meal on a cold winter day.
Song of the day: "Weighty Ghost", by Wintersleep, that Loreto plays so well on the guitar.
Sweet Potato Lentil Split Pea Soup is tonight's special
When the weather is chilly, damp, or snowy, a lovely soup simmering on the stove makes the world a little more comforting. We love to make soups using up whatever organic ingredients we have in the fridge and pantry, and adding a whole lot of love. From Italian to Asian, soups are a favorite at our place.
Ingredients and substitutions
Sweet potatoes.
Potatoes (I used red skin potatoes because that's what I had, any kind would work).
Red lentils.
Yellow split peas.
Carrots.
Onion (white, yellow, or red).
Savoy cabbage or green cabbage.
Herbs, dried or fresh. We used a dried herb mix that Loreto's mom did (parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, basil).
Turmeric, ground.
Bay leaf. Almost always present in our soups.
Garlic.
Salt and pepper.
Extra virgin olive oil. The only oil we use for cooking and finishing.
Vegetable stock. If you prefer, chicken stock, although in vegetable soups I prefer to use vetable stock.
How to make Sweet Potato Lentil Split Pea Soup
As a matter of fact, I did not add all the ingredients at once with the broth and let it cook. A great start always involves sautéeing garlic and/or onion, or mirepoix first in e.v.o. oil, then adding the other ingredients. Here, the vegetables are added according to their different cooking times. Also, we let the ingredients mingle before adding the broth.
- First, in a heavy large soup pot, heat oil on medium heat. Toss in garlic and onion and saute for 1 minute.
- Then, add in shredded carrots, sweet potato, cabbage, and potatoes and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Next, toss in lentils and split peas and give it a good mix.
- After, add dried or fresh herbs, turmeric, bay leaf, and some salt and pepper. Blend with the veggies.
- Lastly, pour in the vegetable stock and stir. Cover, and turn the heat to low.
- Cook for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until veggies are tender.
- Ladle soup in bowls and serve warm.
Let's taste it!
The sweetness and softness of the sweet potatoes were the perfect match for the rustic texture and flavor of the lentils and split peas, with the other components playing a co-star role. I decided not to puree it, not even half, but savor all the different consistencies blended together. Healthy and delightful, this was the perfect dinner on a cold winter night. Loreto had two bowls and called this Sweet Potato Lentil Soup, a bowl of bliss.
Hope you enjoy as much as we did. If you make it, we would love to hear from you.
Sweet Potato Lentil Split Pea Soup
Sweet Potato Lentil Split Pea Soup. Beautiful flavors and an amazing combination of ingredients make this soup the perfect comforting meal on a cold winter day.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soups
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian/Fusion
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups cubed sweet potatoes
- 2 medium red potatoes cubed
- ½ cup red lentils
- ⅓ cup yellow split peas
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- ½ large white onion diced
- 1 cup shredded savoy cabbage
- 1 teaspoon mix of dried herbs
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cups vegetable stock
Instructions
- In a heavy large soup pot, heat oil on medium to high heat.
- Toss in garlic and onion and saute for 1 minute.
- Add in shredded carrots, sweet potato, cabbage, and potatoes and stir frequently for about 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle in lentils and split peas and mix well.
- Dust in herbs, turmeric, bay leaf and some salt and pepper. Blend.
- Pour in vegetable stock and stir.
- Cover and turn heat to low.
- Cook for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until veggies are tender.
- Place in bowls and serve. Enjoy!
I love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul.
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ says
I love sweet potatoes and lentils so this soup sounds REALLY, really good. Nothing like a warm bowl of comfort soup on a cold winter day. Pinning for later 🙂
Thank you Stephanie! It was such a great soup! It's been really cold here lately, so soups like this one are awesome!
Demeter | Beaming Baker says
You did a fabulous job cooking, Nicoletta! I'm just drooling while staring at these gorgeous bowls of soup. Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone is the best thing you can do. 🙂 Love how you made this recipoe so full of incredible ingredients. Loreto is so lucky to have you cooking for him. Happy Monday my friend! 🙂
Thank you Demeter, it was so tasty and satisfying, we both enjoyed it a lot!!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
No pasta! 🙂 This soup looks delicious and very comforting! On these very chilly days having a nice bowl of soup is just what we need. Your pictures are absolutely beautiful! Keep up the great work! 🙂
Thank you so much Kathy! The soup was very comforting in these days where temperatures went down to -37! But I love pasta I would eat it every day 😉 .
Balvinder says
Well Of course, whoever does a good job in making soup should make it. Loretto, being an Indian I am a big fan of lentils and this is a great soup.
Thanks Balvinder, He is a fan of Indian dishes and spices. He told me to add turmeric in this soup and it was such a great addition! We love lentils too!
annika says
So rustic yet gorgeous soup! Love that you have two types of pulses in this recipe... you can't go wrong with that! And don't think I didn't notice the lovely bowls you have used here.... the prefect touch!
Ah ah, thank you Annika, we love those bowls! 🙂 The soup was so good thanks to all the ingredients combined. Perfect comforting meal!
GiGi Eats says
SWEEEEEET potatoes for the friggin' win! I seriously CANNOT get enough of them - CANNOT!!!
Thanks Gigi! Aren't sweet potatoes the best? In soups, roasted, fry, in desserts...amazing!
annie@ciaochowbambina says
Now this is a soup I'll need a big pot of on New Year's Day! If I can wait that long! 😉 This is wonderful in every way, Nicoletta!
Thank you Annie! If is a wonderful soup and according to an Italian tradition eating lentils on new year brings good luck and money. So your resolution is perfect! ????
Jim Delaney says
Ciao Nicoletta, This looks wonderful and so healthy, so we'll give it a try, when we get back to Edmonton 🙂 We're here in Calgary for a spell, but that doesn't stop us from enjoying reading about your cooking adventures! Cheers, Jim
Jim Delaney says
And saluti to Loreto and his soup magic!
Ciao Jim, so nice to hear from you! Thanks so much for your comment, it was a pleasant surprise. This soup is really delicious, hope you try it. Loreto says hi and we hope to see you soon! Hugs!
Vikki says
This soup is delicious... I'll be making it regularly! Thank you
So happy to hear you enjoyed this soup! Thank you for stopping by and leaving us your feedback. Appreciated!
Tim says
Where does the cabbage go? It's not mentioned in the recipe!
Sorry! Cabbage goes in with the carrots, sweet potatoes, and potatoes. Thank you for noticing that, I will update the recipe.