Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple, and Red Lentil Soup

There are two good reasons why this recipe is a 5-star meal: First, at any given time, the average health-conscious person has all of these ingredients in her kitchen, which makes it so convenient. And second, the flavors and spices are spot on! I've made it several times as is and I feel like I can now mention my own twists on the original. One, replace the butter with equal amount coconut oil for a healthier fat and complimentary flavor with the ginger. Two, don't puree it! It is such a pretty stew as is! And three, the last five minutes of simmering, throw in about 4 cups of fresh, chopped spinach for a boost in color and nutrients. Take my word for it--this recipe is worth making!

Delicious! I didn't puree it, instead I just made it like a stew. Everyone who tasted it thought it was great. Def will make again.

This soup is sooooo great! I made it vegan by using olive oil instead of butter and also omitted the yogurt. I also cut salt by using low-sodium broth, and found that I did not need to add salt to season when it was done. Lovely, hearty, and filling. I really liked the mild sweetness with a bit of heat.

This was very good, although I made just a few changes. I used ginger powder, because I didn't have fresh, and I substituted olive oil for butter. I also added several cloves of garlic, minced, and a few parsnips I had left over, and I did NOT puree the soup, because I do not like the texture of pureed soup. I served it over a mixture of brown and white basmati rice. This made a wonderful, hearty, vegan meal.

This recipe was really yummy! I was a little skeptical mixing apples, onions, carrots, sweet potatoes and lentils together, but it turned out be so good and hearty. I followed the recipe to the letter and did not deviate on any of the measurements. My husband is not a big soup person, but he loved it so much, he went back for seconds! My kids, ages 5 & 6, loved it too! The plain yogurt added a really good kick, although it probably would have been good with sour cream as well. I will definitely keep this recipe in the file. :-)

Delicious soup!! I changed the prep method up though. I coarsely chopped up all the veggies and apple and tossed them in a lightly sprayed roasting pan, I then lightly sprayed them and seasonsed them with all the spices. I roasted them for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. I then tossed all the roasted veggies in a pot with the lentils and vegetable stock and simmered until the lentils were done and then pureed. Turned out amazing and cut the fat having not used any butter.

I always put carrots in my lentil soup so when I saw this used apples and sweet potato it sounded good. I made a big batch using the whole lb package of those grey-green lentils and increased other items accordingly. I didnt puree it. Left other ingrediants in chunks which is helpful to know for those without a blender. The family wants me to make lots more of it this fall and winter!

This was so good that I didn't want anyone else to eat it but me! I made it for my roommates and they all raved. I made it just like the recipe, and served it with yogurt and a sprinkle of paprika for a nice look Nest time I make it I might add more apple though. It would probably bee great with sour cream too. I also served them with a side of grilled polenta slices, I feel like the soup would be good with something crunchy to eat along with it. All in all I will definitely be making this again.

Love this recipe...so unique by adding the apple. I didn't have red lentils so I used green and I added some red chillies to give it an extra kick. It is very comforting and filing. Thanks!

A keeper! This was better than expected. I used olive oil instead of butter, chicken broth instead of veg. broth and cream instead of yogurt. Great for a middle eastern or indian dinner party. Will surely make it again.

This soup is awesome! Much better than I expected. I followed the recipe for the most part. I did substitue olive oil for the butter and powdered ginger for the fresh. I also could not find red lentils, so I used the green. The color of the soup was not appealing, but the taste more than made up for it. I will try harder next time to find the red lentils, just to make the appearance better. My husband loved this too and asked for it again tonight. Off to the store!

Good soup, with a nice mix of flavors that blend together well. It's a little on the spicy side, but mildly spicy. I may leave it chunky rather than pureeing next time, but that is just a personal preference. I think I would like to double the amount of lentils next time to increase healthy protein, also increasing the vegetable broth or adding some water to accomodate the additional lentils. EDIT: I made this again, this time leaving it chunky and also using 1/4 cup more lentils, (extra 1 cup veg. broth). We now think this soup could be 10 stars, preferring the chunky 'stew' over a puree.

The description is dead on: this is a wonderful cold-weather soup, and it just screams "autumn" to me. I know some people don't like pureed soups, but this one has an amazing texture once it's blended very smoothly. I modified this a bit... I make 99% of my soups in the crockpot because I am a busy student, and since this one is pureed anyway, it doesn't matter how mushy things get. It also allows me to leave out the butter. Instead of garnishing with plain yogurt, I added a can of coconut milk once everything was cooked soft and before I pureed it... that's just personal preference, as I really like coconut and curry together, but it went well with the rest of the ingredients and wasn't too sweet. All in all, this is a great soup, and will definitely make it again!

This soup was delicious! I followed it quite closely, except for some minor adjustments: I sauteed the ginger with the onion at the beginning, I used chicken broth instead, and I added extra cumin. Here's one HEALTHY AND TIME-SAVING TIP: Don't peel! The healthiest part of most veggies gets thrown out when you peel them, so just scrub the sweet potatoes, carrots, and apple instead. It's just as good, and a tad healthier. (If you're concerned about pesticide residues, buy organic.) Thanks, Zhidaoma!

YUMMMMMMMMMMMY!

I only gave this a 3 star rating because although the flavor was great to me it is not worth the time it takes to prepare the meal. I will save this meal for special occations such has family holiday get togethers or pot luck dinners. Also next time I think I will leave it as a stew instead of pureeing it (pureeing it gives it a babyfood look and tecture).

Fantastic! And very flexible. I haD no red lentils, red beans worked just fine. A dash of cinamon and olive oil for butter I also added some pressed garlic, cayenne pepper. Greek yogurt on top! So so so good! Pretty sure you can't go wrong with this one! I just wish it didn't look like diarrhea when pureed, but with the yogurt garnish it looks ok. I pureed the whole thing too, I left all of the skins on, and it worked well. Going to be making this a lot! Thank you for the fantastic recipe!

This recipe is BLAND, just as I expected it to be, so here are a couple hints to take it from blah to WOW! Anytime I cook with aromatics or ground spices, I sauté them before adding liquids. A lot of these herbs and spices only release their flavor under high heat and/or fat. Adding them in with the stock before sautéing is basically just wasting them. So, take the time to slightly brown or caramelize (lightly brown, not burn) the veggies and apples, then add in the spices, ginger, and garlic and stir for 30 seconds, or until they are very fragrant. Continue on with the recipe from here on out. Purée or not, according to your own palate! I like mine as a stew with more texture, personally. Happy cooking!

So delicious! It tastes rich and creamy, but it's so low-fat. I substituted olive oil for the butter, and skipped the yogurt to make it vegan. I used quinoa instead of the lentils to give it more protein. I served it with crusty wheat bread. Really good!

Great recipe! If you want a sweeter twist on this, add in an extra apple, 1 tsp cinnamon & 2 Tbsp brown sugar. I pureed it and thought the color was great, it reminded me of butternut squash soup.

i've had this kind of soup before and never thought it was remarkable. not sure what the difference is, but this one is really really good. made it with just water, not broth and butternut squash, not sweet potato b/c it's what i had. will make it again and again

I didn't change a thing and the recipe was great. Great flavor and the perfect amount for a family dinner. We added some milk to thin and topped with plain honey yogurt. Very good!

This is SO good! I pureed it because I like creamy textured soups. Also, I couldn't find vegetable stock so I used chicken bouillon cubes. I only had two left (and was not going to run to the store a third time!) so I used 3 cups water to the 2 cubes--it still turned out GREAT! Next time I will add more apple and less carrot--I don't like the taste of cooked carrots and you can taste them in some bites :) Served it with fresh sourdough bread and a little plop of sour cream on top (instead of plain yogurt). Love how healthy it is--Overall super yummy and FABULOUS on a cool evening.

Very good for a healthier option. I used chicken broth (and less salt to compensate) but otherwise followed the recipe. I made this for my sister's birthday and everyone seemed to like it, although they didn't believe me that I hadn't added cream, milk, cream cheese, etc. to the soup. I did add the dollop of Greek yogurt which I think added a lot.

Very good and satisfying!

This soup is amazing! It's the perfect mixture of slightly sweet w/ spicy undertones! My children loved it, especially my little, one year old, sweet potato addict! Good even during the Spring when the weather can be a little wet & cold. The only change I made was I used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth.

Sweet, but not-too-sweet, this tastes like home. Perfect comfort food for a chilly night, and so good for you.

Yum! This was great. I added extra chicken stock and extra lentils, as well as extra spices plus some hot sauce and apple cider vinegar. Let it cook for awhile so a lot of the vegetables fell apart but did not puree as we like the stew-ness of it. Great flavor, filling, healthy, easy, and inexpensive = 5 stars!

Very good and easy soup! I added a bit of curry powder and a dash of cinnamon to add a little more spice. I used chicken broth instead of vegetable since I didn't have it on hand and omitted the salt. I threw it all in the slow cooker for 8 hours on low and it turned out great! My husband even liked it, and he was pretty wary of the recipe when I first showed it to him.

This was an amazing soup--- my husband and I think it was one of the best soups we've ever tasted! Changes--- for health reasons, I did NOT use butter-- i used 1 TBSP of canola oil to sautee the veggies. I halved the salt (used 1/2 tsp). Used 2 cans chicken broth, plus water to get the liquid level to 4 cups (I did not have vegetable broth on-hand). We'll do this recipe regularly, since it was so healthy & delicious!!!! 5+ stars from me!

Delicious! Used 2 tablespoons olive oil instead of butter. Also, I omitted the ginger due to a guest allergy and cut the black pepper and chili powder in half (again, for guest preference). Served with plain Greek yogurt and crusty bread. Added approximately 2 cups of additional vegetable broth after pureeing and transferred to a slow cooker set on warm until serving time. Will absolutely make again!

If apples are diced small no blending is needed.

Wonderful! Absolutely love this soup. Very satisfying. I added 1/2 tsp cinnamon, used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth and added in 1/2 cup sour cream at the end.

It was a hit and very easy to make!

I was skeptical cuz' I'm not a sweet potato fan. OMG! This soup was amazing. I made it and let it sit for 2 days in the fridge. Reheated on the stove and thinned it out with more broth. My girlfriends went back for seconds. I left the skin on the apple and used Earth balance instead of butter.

One of the BEST recipes I've ever found! Easy, and completely unique, soup. I followed the recipe to a T, except used 3/4 c. brown lentils (instead of a 1/2 c. red lentils), and sour cream instead of plain yogurt as we already had it on hand. Amazing flavors - yum!!!

My family (DH + 3 adult children + 1 SIL) didn't like this soup at all. Me? I LOVED it. And I've got another 6 serving batch brewing in my crockpot/slow cooker as I type. DELICIOUS!

My family love this soup, I used green lentils only because I couldn't find red. I added 3 cloves of garlic, because we love garlic. This is a sweet-savory soup and its delicious! I used a hand held immersion blender and it was not messy and no transferring from pot to blender.

Sorry, but I don't get all the high reviews. I thought this was strange and bland. I made it just like the recipe said and I was really let down. I won't be making this again.

I LOVE this soup! I like to make a double batch to can some of it to have on hand when we have unexpected company. This soup always gets rave reviews, whether people are watching their waste line or not. Thank you for this superb recipe!

Absolutely great! I followed the recipe except left the veggies chunky. Sweet and tangy Maybe a little more chile powder next time.

This is okay, but I won't make it again. It's a very sweet soup and the flavors taste as you would expect if you blended sweet potato, carrots, and apples together. Definitely better before pureeing...after the puree, it is very similar to baby food.

This soup is incredible, but I changed it quite a bit: I had extra pureed poumpkin that I wanted to use up, and added it instead of the 2nd sweet potato. I also added black beans instead of red lentils simply bc my store doesn't supply them. The chili powder and cumin got doubled, and like another reviewer, I didn't puree it, but rather mashed it a bit to maintain some texture. DELICIOUS!

This is good. This is really good. I used plain yogurt instead of sour cream and extra virgin coconut oil instead of butter. I didn't have vegetable broth so I used chicken and I shredded the apple. Very healthy, and caretenoids have been found to help skin glow golden! My waistline didn't like it as much as my skin, though...when soup is this good I have no self control!

Followed the recipe exactly. Tasted absolutely delicious. My whole family enjoyed it! Will definitely be making it again!

Well, I figure it's time I update this review. This recipe is a staple for me! It's always filling and delicious. Here's a few tricks I've tried: Purple onion adds a stronger onion flavor, if that's your thing. Veganizes easily - just swap butter for olive oil as you think appropriate - I don't usually need 1/4 cup, but YMMV. If you do this, you may want to add salt if you usually use salted butter. Yes, yams work fine! Red lentils give the best color, but it's totally not worth the trip to Whole Foods to get them - regular lentils (that are $1/pound) just make it slightly darker at the end and taste just as good. Smoked paprika is a nice touch if you happen to have it on hand.

I'm not usually a fan of pureed soups, but this one is fantastic. I used 1.5 tbs of olive oil to saute the veggies and cut the butter out completely. I also omitted the salt as the veggie broth has enough salt for me. Easily one of the best soups I've ever made.

Wow, I'm impressed! I bought lentils and didn't know how to make them. I'm so glad I tried this! I used green lentils, instead of red and it turned out amazing.

I tried this recipe over the weekend. I used olive oil in place of the butter and did not puree it but beyond that followed the recipe exactly. I have to say it is now one of my favorite soup recipes. It was even better the second day. Often wanted to try it but was never sure I would like the combination. I am so glad I did. Love it! Love it! Thank you for sharing it.

Well, I have to give this five stars too! I wasn't really sure what it would taste like, since I'd never put sweet potatoes in a stew or soup before! But our temps dropped here, making it a good soup night. I found I had not a drop of broth in the house of any flavor, so ended up using ham base for the background flavoring. I figured ham went okay with the sweet potatoes, apples and lentils, so it should work. It did! I also left out the chili powder, since it didn't seem to make sense with the other flavorings. (I didn't want yam chili.) We had a pot of VERY yummy stew. I only did a little bit with the immersion blender, leaving the majority in small pieces. I added a little instant mashed potatoes for more thickness, and left out the yogurt (wasn't needed). I also added a couple dashes of Frank's Hot Sauce to enhance everything. It was very good, and we are having the leftovers tonight! I think this beats split pea soup. We'll definitely make it again. Thanks for sharing the unusual combination!

So good and even better after we froze the leftovers

What a yummy soup! I subbed evvo instead of butter like others suggested. I pureed some for me, and left it hearty for my boyfriend, and served with sour cream and some corn muffins. I'll definitely be making this again - lots more times!

Awesomely delicious! After reading some of the reviews and because of personal preference: replaced butter with coconut oil; did not peel anything; shredded the carrots and apple; used 3/4 cup lentils; 1/8 tsp powdered ginger in place of the fresh; no salt or chili powder; curry in place of cumin; cayenne in place of paprika; 2 cups vege broth, 2 cups chicken broth and 1 1/2 cup coconut milk in place of the 6 cups vege broth; and added fresh baby kale and spinach to the final product about 5 minutes before serving. I know this is a lot of changes, but would never have put this together without the original recipe posted here and that would be a shame! Thanks for sharing, zhidaoma!

Very good, and very good for you. I thought it lacked a little flavor (kind of plain) but it's so nutritious I probably will make again. My hubby loved it! I added chicken broth to thin it out at the end, not water. I added a little more salt than what was called for.

Excellent! I was out of cumin so I had to substitute: Curry worked really well.

Also good not pureed, just mash a little with a slotted spatula. I put in a pear instead of the apple and it gave it a slightly exotic twist. My one and a half year old loved it too and it's practically a meal in bowl.

We were nervous about eating a sweet potato soup but we wanted to try a lentil soup and this was one of the top ones listed so we thought we would give it a try. It was suprisingly delicious, I cant say Ive ever had anything like it but it was definitely worth trying. We used shredded carrots to save time and a braeburn apple because of its flavor, but I dont think it matters. The best part was the subtle sweet flavor with a kick.

I liked this soup a lot but others thought it a bit sweet. I omitted the butter and used smoked paprika. It was simple to make and a comforting meal on a cold day. Thanks for sharing.

Delicious! This was surprisingly hearty and flavorful! I loved the mix of sweet and spicy! I modified this recipe to use what I had at home. I didn't have carrots, so I couldn't add those. I added celery because I needed to use it. I used regular lentils instead of red lentils. I used Red Delicious apples. I used chicken stock instead of vegetable broth. I added two cloves of minced garlic. I used less than 1/8 tsp of ground ginger instead of fresh ginger. I also halved the salt. This was a GOOD idea because it turned out being very flavorful. Anymore salt and it would have been too much. I did not puree it because I love chunky soup. Next time I might add a little more chicken broth (maybe 1 cup) and simmer it a little longer. Some of the lentils needed to be cooked longer.

5 stars!!! I made this dish for baby food. My 8 month loves this! I did modify it by cutting the spices in half, just because he is a youngster. I will make this dish for the rest of the family this winter.

This recipe was lovely. i didn't have any apples so I added unsweetened apple sauce instead. It came out a bit too sweet for me so next time I'll add more lentils and less sweet potato. I used olive oil instead of butter.

DELICIOUS! my husband does not like soups, but this one, he begs me to make it every couple of weeks, it's healthy, filling and above all delicious as is!

One of my favorites! Everyone loves it, even my meat-loving husband. It's also easily made vegan and is gluten free so it's great for anyone with dietary requirements. The flavor is amazing. Using a stick blender makes this soup so easy to prepare too. It usually turns out pretty think, so I recommend extra broth to thin it out.

I didn't care for it. A lot of work for a soup that is just so-so on taste.

Delicious and easy! I made it as written except I did not puree it; it was pretty as is. Tastes even better the next day.

I really liked this! I used olive oil instead of the butter, and thinned with the extra cup of veg broth I had made but otherwise followed the recipe.

Whole family loved this soup! Followed the recipe as written and have made it many times. A go to in our house.

This one is a winner! I didn't have paprika so I left it out, and I added some cinnamon and nutmeg. The soup tastes good un-pureed, but it's not very pretty so I'd recommend puree-ing it if you're going to serve it to guests.

Excellent...Excellent. My whole family loved it, including 5 children ranging from 2 to 8 years old. The key to making this successful is to puree only half of the soup. You want the texture of the vegetables, so nobody is thrown off by the baby food puree texture. But at the same time you want to blend the flavors of the sweet(sweet potato, carrots, and apples) and the spicy (ginger, chili powder, paprika, pepper)...I did change it a lil bit but using 1 sweet, and 1 reg potato......A dopple of yogurt on top is an added bonus, use yogurt folks, not sour cream. It does make a difference. I served this over white basmati rice, and a salad for a full meal.

Delicious. I also did not puree it and ate it like a stew.

Edible but not something we would make again. We added some fresh rosemary and cilantro leftover from another recipe but otherwise made as written. Even with fresh herbs added, it didn’t have the depth of flavor we were expecting given the combination of ingredients. Finely had to add some other spices to make it more desirable.

Very good. Will make again. I will use smaller sweet potatoes next time and double the ginger.

I made this without the chili powder or red lentils just because I had neither. I added curry. If I were to make it again I would add another apple and cut the salt if I were using regular-sodium broth. Very warming and tasty soup!

This is a great soup! Made everything as instructed except I only pureed 1/2 the soup. It was wonderful. I served it with bread and green grapes.

Made this for the 1st time tonight and my husband said it tastes just like it would from a restaurant and that it is a HOME RUN!

Delicious! This has become my Fall 2010 favorite soup recipe. It is so versatile; I have topped it with sour cream or light cream cheese, chives, toasted almonds, you name it. I add a dash each of cinnamon and nutmeg and a few Tbsp of brown sugar b/c I prefer to add a little sweetness. I also double the spices. There are so many different ways to change it to suit your preference. 5 stars!!

So delicious! My 4-year-old twins even ate it!

You don't need to change a thing. This recipe is perfect. Like a bisque but you don't get that "I just ate a pound of butter/cream" feeling afterwards!!! I used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth because I didn't have any

Delicious! Followed the recipe exactly, except that I omitted the ginger (can't stand the stuff). Loved the yogurt garnish as well!

Phenomenal. Made it as stated, though I am sure i put in at least a tablespoon of the fresh minced ginger as I just can't seem to help myself -- i love ginger. Comfort food at it's best. Sweet, savory, a little bit of spice. Amazing. Wonderful. WOW. It's SO good.

This was delicious! Only thing I didn't add was the red lentils (forgot to buy them) – but it was so tasty just the same. The suggestion to use a stick blender works very well, and you only need to puree as much (velvety) or as little (chunkier) for consistency as you want.

This is a hearty vegan soup. It had wonderful flavor. If I were to fix it again, I'd do like some of the other reviewers did and keep it chunky like a stew. I think adding some ham might be nice also if you need a little more protein.

THIS IS A MUST TRY RECIPE! The only changes I made were to use regular lentils/organic, substituted 1/2 t. powdered ginger(but would use fresh next time), and 4 chicken bouillon cubes with 4 cups boiling water instead of the vegetable broth. I did not 'add water to thin the soup' nor garnish with yogurt. This is a truly wonderful - hearty soup & it's super healthy as it does not call for cream as so many creamy soups do.

Fantastic, packed with so much that's good for you, and very filling. Wait a few minutes before going back for seconds.

The yogurt made it righteous

Incredible soup. Didn't have ginger, but I used a dash or two of pumpkin pie seasoning which was nice. Don't use Feta, it's not necessary. Maybe yogurt, but it tastes delicious without anything else. Also, it might be nice with some cranberries next time.

This is delicious...So good that our 10month old twins downed nearly as much as we did. Not a huge onion fan so only used a half, will try the full next time. Also pureed only a portion, making more like a stew. Going to try more lentils next time.

Oooooo! This is so tasty, we didn't have lentils and made it without. Next time with the lentils.

Absolutely delicious, followed the recipe to a T.

I thought this was going to be weird, but it was INCREDIBLE! Made it per the recipe. I have no blender lid so I used a potato masher while still in the pot. Made it chunky, think, and yummy!

This recipe was the base for all my left over Thanksgiving dinner. I used left over sweet potatoe casserole, homemade applesauce, left over carrots, left over chicken stock, put it all together and it came out awesome. Great way to get rid of the leftovers that stuck around the refrig. I did already have the red lentils in the pantry. Try it you'll love this!!! Nice and spicy...

This was really really good! My husband thought it was a bit spicy but his tolerance for heat is low. I'm only mentioning that in case you have the same type person in your family. I loved it...my kids liked it...I served with plain greek yogurt and also put sour cream on the table for my kids b/c they like sour cream on all soups just about. I used cooking spray instead of butter and it all worked fine! I will definitely make again!

Subbed olive oil for butter. Delicious!

OUTSTANDING! I had Dental surgery today and am restricted to a liquid diet for a few days. I started looking for veggie based soups that could be pureed and tried this one. I have to say I wanted to eat the entire batch in one setting! The only changes I made were to double the spices to 1 tsp each and increased the lentils to 1 cup. I also added a tad more broth while pureeing it. So tasty, and healthy! Thank you Zhidaoma for sharing!

Really delicious. Some minor changes: added a few cloves of garlic to the cooking vegetables, because everything is better with garlic. I had humungous sweet potatoes, so I ended up having to use more than the 4 c. broth called for, but I had extra on hand so it wasn't a big deal. For seasonings I added a little bit of cinnamon and nutmeg to give it that winter taste, and a big splash of apple cider vinegar adds a ton of flavor. Lastly, I skipped out on pureeing it, and instead just used a potato masher to get a nice and thick, but chunky soup/stew consistency.

I was disappointed in this recipe. I followed the recipe exactly. The lentils didn't cook thoroughly, there ended up being too much sweet potato, not enough flavoring and it was overall just disappointed. If I were to repeat the recipe, which I won't, I would suggest medium, rather than large potatoes, longer cook time and more seasoning.

This was very yummy for the whole family. My only complaint was that it came out way too thick. I would add more vegetable broth next time.

This was a huge hit at my dinner party.

This was great. Loved the flavor combination. I wish I had used a larger apple or two small apples- next time. I used olive oil instead of butter due to personal preference. I topped with goat cheese as I did not have plain yogurt in the house.