Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup – No Meat, Some Potatoes

I’ve had a bag of red lentils in my cabinet since I’ve moved in to my new house. I may have even scavenged them from my last place, meaning they could be years old. Do lentils expire? I’m not sure, but I’m committed to using them. There were also a few rogue sweet potatoes in my kitchen. I texted my roommates to find out whose they were and no one answered. So they’re mine.

Although this soup is vegan, it’s hearty and comforting. It also makes you feel like you’re doing something good for yourself. If you want to feel even good-er you could stir in some leafy greens. I personally cannot stand mushy greens except in rare cases, plus I don’t ever like to feel too good about myself, so I left them out. Either way, you will be a certifiably better person if you make and eat this soup.

Ingredients:

Olive oil
1 yellow onion
2 large carrots
2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 large sweet potato
2 cups of lentils
4 cups of vegetable broth
Cilantro
Juice of half a lemon

Rinse the lentils through until the water runs clear.

Dice the onion and chop the carrots into bite-sized pieces.

Cut the sweet potato into the chunks the same size as the carrots.

Cook down the onions and carrots in olive oil. Once the onions are translucent, add in the garlic and the spices.

My theory about adding spices is that you should add until you’re afraid you’ve added too much.

Stir in the sweet potato and lentils.

Pour in the vegetable broth and bring it to a boil. Simmer the soup for about 20 minutes until the carrots and potato are tender.

Since herbs are sold in amounts only appropriate for restaurants, the last time I purchased cilantro I decided to freeze the leftovers. The cilantro defrosted into mushy greens. You all know how I feel about mushy greens. It was so unappetizing that I was only willing to use a little bit.