Warm-up with Curried Sweet Potato & Lentil soup

At this time of the year we can rely on hearty warm soups that will keep us healthy and satisfied until the spring time. This is what Bradie Hutton, our nutrition student would like to share on this topic. Recipe included!

With fall quickly disappearing before our eyes, this flavourful soup will help warm your family up on a chilly night! There are so many reasons that soups are a great option for the winter.

Soup is a healthy, budget-friendly, and convenient meal for the whole family.

With only 38% of Ontarians reporting consuming vegetables and fruits five times or more per day [1], soup is an easy way to increase your vegetable intake. It can also add a variety of nutrients to your meals. This Curried Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup is a great source of fibre, vitamin A, vitamin C, and iron.

It’s also a great budget-friendly and convenient option—you can throw any vegetables you have on hand into a soup or easily substitute ingredients! You can also easily freeze leftovers for a quick meal on a busy night.

Curried Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 4 plum tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup green or brown lentils, dried
• 1 sweet potato, cubed
• 4 cups vegetable stock, low sodium
• 1 can (12 oz) coconut milk
• 1 small zucchini, chopped
• ½ cup green beans (fresh or frozen, 1” cut)
• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
• ½ cup parsley or cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until soft and translucent (about 3 minutes). Add ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add in curry powder and pepper and stir frequently for 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, lentils, sweet potato, stock and coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Partially cover and reduce heat so soup bubbles gently.
3. Cook stirring occasionally about 15 minutes. Add more water if soup gets too thick.
4. Stir in zucchini, green beans, spinach. Add more water if needed. Cover and cook until lentils and vegetables are tender (5 to 10 minutes).
5. Stir in parsley or cilantro.

Makes 8 servings

What are your family’s favourite foods to warm-up in the winter?

Nutrition Information

Per serving: 250 calories, 13 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 100 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 6 g fibre, 5 g sugar, 10 g protein, 70% DV vitamin A, 30% DV vitamin C, 6% DV calcium, 30% DV iron.