When the weather cools down, we’re in full-on soup mode (and stretchy pants, for that matter).
I’ve always loved Moroccan-inspired dishes. The spices are so comforting and warming.
This Moroccan-inspired soup puts some of my favorite spices, like cumin, coriander, and cinnamon, to use.
Let us show you how easy this 1-pot soup is.
This recipe begins with lentils, which we recommend soaking.
Soaking helps improve digestibility and also speeds cook time.
However, if you’re not one to remember to soak your beans (or grains), you can always buy sprouted at the store to save time and know they’ve already been soaked. I typically buy sprouted quinoa and lentils because they’re frequently used pantry staples that I often reach for in a pinch but don’t always have time to soak.
If you’re in a really big hurry: You could also just use red lentils, which don’t require soaking and cook faster. Or, use canned cooked lentils (just be sure to rinse and drain before adding, and reduce cook time as needed).
The rest of this soup is easy:
- Sauté onion and garlic, then add sweet potato and spices.
- Add vegetable broth and lentils, and simmer until tender (both sweet potatoes and lentils).
- Add green beans (or greens of choice) and cook 10 minutes more.
That’s it!
We hope you LOVE this soup. It’s:
Comforting
Quick & easy to make
Flavorful
Satisfying
Customizable
& Delicious
This would make the perfect soup when you’re craving a comforting, satisfying dinner. Depending on the season and personal preference, feel free to substitute the sweet potatoes for other starchy vegetables, such as butternut squash or white potatoes. And the green beans can be swapped for any sturdy green, such as kale or collard greens.
Into comforting soups? Try our:
Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Lazy 1-Pot Vegan Tom Yum Soup
Fire-Roasted Tomato & Mung Bean Soup
Simple Pumpkin Soup
1-Pot Everyday Lentil Soup
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
1-Pot Spiced Sweet Potato Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup rinsed brown or green lentils* (soak overnight — optional for improved digestibility)
- 1/4 cup water (or 2 Tbsp avocado or other neutral cooking oil)
- 1 ¼ cups diced red onion (as recipe is written, about 1 small-medium onion)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces (as recipe is written, about 2 cups)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
- 6 cups vegetable broth (or store-bought)
- 1-2 Tbsp coconut sugar (or sub maple syrup or honey if not vegan)
- 1 cup chopped green beans (fresh or frozen / or sub a sturdy green of choice, such as kale or collard greens)
FOR SERVING optional
- Fresh cilantro
- Red pepper flake
- Fresh minced garlic
Instructions
- Optional: If soaking lentils, rinse and add to a mixing bowl and cover with 2 inches cool water. Soak for at least 6 hours or overnight. Then rinse, drain, and proceed with recipe. (See notes for soaking tips and ways to get around this if you're in a hurry!)
- Heat a large pot or dutch oven (we love this one), over medium-high heat. Once hot, add water (or oil) and onion. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly browned. Add more water (or oil) as needed to brown.
- Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Then add sweet potato, salt, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne (optional). Stir to coat and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add vegetable broth and bring to a low boil. Then add lentils and coconut sugar and another pinch of salt. Stir to combine. Once it comes back to a low boil, reduce heat to a simmer, loosely cover (crack the lid to let steam escape), and cook for ~20 minutes or until lentils are tender (time will vary depending on type of lentil and whether or not they were soaked).
- Once the lentils are tender, add green beans, stir, and cover. Cook for another 10 minutes, then turn off heat and let soup rest at least 5 minutes before serving.
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more cumin for smokiness, cinnamon for warmth, salt to taste, coconut sugar for sweetness, or pepper or cayenne pepper for heat.
- Serve as is, with grains, or over steamed vegetables. Optional: Top with fresh herbs, red pepper flake, and/or fresh minced garlic.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 5-7 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. Add more vegetable broth or water to rehydrate as needed.
Video
Notes
*We recommend soaking your lentils:
- Soaking helps improve digestibility and also speeds cook time.
- If you're not one to remember to soak your beans, you can buy sprouted at the store and add to soup when called for.
- If you're in a big hurry: You could use red lentils, which don't require soaking and cook faster. Or, use canned cooked lentils (just be sure to rinse and drain before adding, and reduce cook time as needed).
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with the lesser amount of coconut sugar and without optional ingredients.
Margo says
Excellent! I followed the recipe to a tee (subbing maple syrup for coconut sugar), and it turned out lovely. So many vegetable stews/soups are under-seasoned or have this basic ‘spicy tomato-y’ taste, but this was super flavorful.
Margo says
Excellent! We followed the recipe to a tee (subbing maple syrup for coconut sugar), and everything worked out wonderfully. So many recipes for vegetable stews are under-spiced or just have a basic ‘spicy tomato-y’ taste, but this was super flavorful.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Margo! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Taryn says
The last three times I have been to the store, they were out of cumin. Not sure if this is just a supply issue with my market or if its more widespread, but I’m happy to report that this soup still tastes delicious when the cumin is subbed for curry powder. I also added a little garam masala and a bunch of kale. SO GOOD.
P.S. I used the homemade broth I made from veggie scraps for this and I feel like an actual homesteader.
We’re so glad it turned out well, Taryn! And whoop for homemade broth from scraps! Thanks for sharing!
Elaine says
One of my many favourite recipes on Minimalist Baker.
A nice warm hearty meal for winter thats quick and easy to make. Its also a versatile recipe, where you can add more veggies into the soup (e.g., frozen peas, carrots).
Whoop! Thanks so much for sharing, Elaine! xo
Janice says
This is delicious and easy. May seem like a lot of spice, but comes out with a mild and pleasing Mid-Eastern flavor. I didn’t have any green beans, so I added a half cup of frozen edamame. Ate it for lunch with a side of rye bread.
Thanks for sharing, Janice! We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Diana Demco says
This is like a warm hug in a bowl! I did not change anything regarding the ingredients, and it turned out lovely. The flavours from the spices complimented the sweet potato beautifully!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Diana! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Amelie says
Made this tonight for my family while browsing your site for a good quarantine recipe to make with basics since we’re stockpiling stuff like sweet potatoes, onions, lentils, and the like. Overall it was a big hit! I also randomly had all the spices on hand and for some reason coconut sugar. Your website has been such a huge help during this challenging time and I love all the gluten free recipes as my sister is also staying with us and she has Celiac’s. Thank you for all the culinary inspiration!
Sneha says
My one big recommendation for this is to amp up the spice plenty, just because the ingredients do really well with more heat. Paired this with some labneh and toasted pita, which made for a greaaaat meal.
Nicole says
This was great! Easy, yummy, healthful. I used unsoaked red lentils (added in after the yams had been simmering for the first 10 minutes) and didn’t have green beans and so went with frozen green peas added in about 5 minutes before the end. Between the red lentils instead of green/brown and my yam yielding more than 2 cups it ended up being fairly thick and stew-like and not brothy at all, but I loved it that way. Thanks for the recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Nicole! Thanks so much for sharing!
Juliana says
I thought it was a bit too watery in the end and I put a bit of coconut milk leftover I had. I also substituted the green beans for broccoli. Was pretty good! :)
stacey hansen says
Yes! This was delicious. I used frozen green beans. I didn’t have enough cumin (I never thought I’d run out!) and used a bunch of Berbere spice from Penzey’s. I had some moroccan lamb sausage (Scratch Meat from N Portland) from the farmer’s market in the freezer, so I added that with some greek full fat yogurt as a garnish. Also added cilantro and mint. I will definitely make this again. I get impatient but I’m glad I took the time to soak the lentils overnight. I haven’t made much with this spice combination, I am really glad I tried it! I think this recipe is super solid the way it’s written, I just had stuff I wanted to add.
Love the modifications, Stacey! Thanks for sharing!
Angypangy says
I was concerned about using the amount of cinnamon called for in this recipe, thinking it would be overpowering, but it blended in to the other spices beautifully. A dusky mix of earthy spices and a satisfying mix of beans and veggies. I used frozen peas since it’s what ihad on hand and they worked great!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing!
Nikhita says
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for giving the world this amazing recipe. Loving it!
Patricia says
I don’t think I’ve had this favor profile before, so I was nervous while cooking, but this turned out so unique and delicious! I used Better than Boullion No Beef Base instead of veggie broth.
Carol says
I was searching your website for a sweet potato chili recipe and found this recipe… so delicious! Something I could not have “invented” myself – haha!
My broth was disappointingly more brown than yours likely due to the store bought vegetable broth I used. So, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the savory goodness of your unique spice combination. Can’t wait to remake this using your homemade broth recipe.
I know that you put so much work/time into developing recipes, taking photos, etc. My family and I really appreciate your recipe resource! Thank you!
Aw, thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review, Carol! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! We find that store-bought broths with tomato paste in them have a more red color. Hope that helps!
Evette says
This came out sooo good, I used sprouted lentils and frozen green beans per the recommendation to make it even more easy ;) Super flavorful and satisfying. Even the picky BF liked it! Thank you!
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
Jacqueline Symons says
This recipe looks like the perfect way to enjoy a rainy fall day. Can you use mushroom broth instead of vegetable broth or will that alter the flavour too much?
We haven’t tried it, but that sounds great! Let us know if you give it a try!
Katarina says
I don’t cook – ever. However, I decided I wanted to start learning healthy, simple, yet delicious meals, starting with this one. I have to say this was awesome!! It was not only so easy and simple but it tasted so yummy! I used red lentils to make it even easier so I look forward to trying the recipe again with a different type to compare textures as I found the red lentils really disintegrate and turn into fluff. Even my Mum tried it and said it tasted amazing (she usually wouldn’t dare try my concoctions) so I have to say thank you so much for sharing this recipe and helping me along my learning journey :)
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Katarina! Happy cooking!
Kiran says
This recipe came out great flavor wise. I would say the cooking instructions didn’t exactly work for me. I had to cook from step 4 about 40 minutes since I had not soaked the green lentils in advance. I had to cook an additional 20 minutes once I added the green beans. Although if I make this dish again I’d probably add the green beans earlier. They didn’t seem to absorb the taste of the dish overall.
Emily Woodzicka says
So good! Made it for my roommates and it was a hit.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Emily! xo
Natalie says
Delicious! I used red lentils and subbed lacuna to kale for the green beans. Served with a lime wedge to squeeze a bit of lime juice to brighten the rich flavors. I have made this twice and can’t wait to make it again!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Natalie! Thanks for sharing! xo
Jan says
This was FABULOUS. Thank you so much! I have to admit, I was hesitant with the spices but it was so tasty. Since my spouse is a juvenile diabetic, I used 1/2 tablespoon of honey and it was perfect.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jan! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
B says
I was hesitant about the use of cinnamon in a soup like this but I ended up enjoying it! The lentils came out perfectly tender after the suggested soaking time. A delicious soup to take to work for lunch.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
Gabriela Gerlach says
I am making this tomorrow night. The husband saw coriander and instead bought fresh cilantro. Would you recommend making it with the fresh cilantro vs the coriander?
It will be quite a different flavor. I’d say serve with fresh cilantro and double up on the other spices!
tanya says
the cilantro (chinese parsley) green parts make flowers which produce coriander seeds. now i have to buy some coriander to see if it tastes like cilantro!
Anna Brewer says
Yummy… Enough said really! Would be easier if less ingredients, but it’s mostly just spices so
Great! Thanks, Anna!
Kayla says
Hi Dana! I made this today and wow! It is truly delightful! Very light and fresh with lots of fall flavors. Thank you so much!
Thanks for sharing, Kayla!
Liz says
Super easy and tasty!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Liz!
Anna Rose says
I added lemon to serve and it was delicious ! Definitely will be making it again.
Great! Thanks for sharing, Anna!
Shawn Johnson says
Made this for myself and a couple carnivores, but doubled the recipe….and boy am I glad I did! 1 bowl turned into 2, and before we knew it, it was gone!!! Definitely a keeper…Thanks Dana!!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Shawn!
Nicole says
Made it shared it really loved it! (even with someone who doesn’t like spicy dishes; removed pepper and cayenne & was still deli-delicious).
Thanks a lot for being simply creative or should I say creatively simple?
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Nicole! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Bailey says
Loved it, exactly as written! A perfect cozy fall and winter soup that makes the house smell wonderful while cooking! Definitely will make again.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Bailey! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Tina says
Just made this for dinner. It was a hit! Easy to make and a nice mix of flavors. I didn’t have green beans so I threw in some baby spinach instead. will make it again!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Tina!
Nicole says
I bought purple yams by mistake and this still turned out great! Because I also used red lentils the soup is a very deep plum color. I used chard instead of green beans and a little less liquid. Flavor is amazing. All the soup recipes I’ve tried I’ve loved and made several times. I’ll add this one to the rotation
Great! Thanks for sharing, Nicole!
Lisa K says
As delicious and easy as promised! Found it to be a little salty and don’t think you need the extra pinch of salt towards the middle of the recipe. And, only used half of the coconut sugar.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Lisa!
Betsy says
I took the true lazy person’s approach to this soup – red lentils, garlic powder (out of fresh) and no onion (husband is averse) and tossed everything in the slow cooker for 4 hours on high. Spoiler alert: IT’S STILL AMAZING. My toddler loved it, too! I mainly separated the sweet potatoes and green beans from the liquid for him but he liked to use the broth as ‘dip’ which was pretty cute.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Betsy!! So glad everyone enjoyed it.
Dan says
This hit the spot. The cinnamon is a nice touch. I used turnip greens and they worked well. Reheats really well, I’m eating leftovers now.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Dan!
Renee says
I made the recipe exactly as written, and chose chopped cilantro as a garnish. I really wanted to love this – I even doubled it in order to freeze some for easy lunches – but it was just ok. In my opinion it lacks a kick of umami or something to brighten up the flavours. I wish I knew what that was. Maybe a spiced oil as a garnish? Some kind of acid? I was kinda hoping other reviewers would have commented on this too in order to get some ideas!
Interesting. I do recommend serving with fresh garlic and parsley. Did you try that? Lemon juice might also be nice!
Anthony says
Wonderful, perfect for the fall nor’easter we’ve been getting. Used green lentils soaked over nite, kale, maple syrup and a Japanese sweet potato (red on the outside, white and sweet on the inside). Love your blog!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Anthony!!
Anna Viehbeck says
Just made a pot of this comfy soup. Used red lentils, honey as a sweetener, and chicken broth. Served over brown rice.
Husband loved it, and for me it was a tad too sweet, so I added a little heat in the form of Huy Fong chilli garlic sauce. Yum!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Anna! We love chili garlic sauce – good call ;D
Sarah McCormack says
I saw the recipe on Instagram and thought yum! I want that! Soaked green lentils immediately. Made the stew yesterday and replaced the green beans with shredded cabbage. Absolutely gorgeous! Even my sometimes fussy 8 year old loved it. Will definitely make it again. Thanks for sharing?
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Sarah!
Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers! xo
Jill says
I made this recipe pretty much as written. I used “dragon’s tongue” beans, which were fresh from my garden and are more like a wax bean. A friend came by and had some with me. Delicious! We both love it. I shared the recipe with her.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Jill!
Hayley says
Made this tonight for my sick Husband and it was a big hit! I added some Kale for extra greens. I’m not one to comment often but we have been devouring minimalist baker recipes since we stumbled across the site. Everything we’ve tried has been delicious and have fast become favourites (we’ll be adding this recipe to that list). We’re not vegan, but we’ve loved discovering different ways of approaching plant based cooking. Thank you!
Wonderful – thanks for sharing, Hayley! So glad you’re enjoying the recipes. Hope your husband feels better!
Beth Ann says
I just made this and it was YUM!
Only thing I added was a little liquid smoke for smokiness and lime juice balanced it out for me.
Keep on with the soup recipes Dana! So much fun playing with new ones this time of year. Thank you! ?
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Beth Ann!
Nicole says
If we were to use frozen green beans, would you suggest thawing them first or adding them in the frozen state? Thanks! Planning to make this soon!
Oh add them frozen and just cook a little longer!
Andi Kelly says
I just made this, it’s fabulous! I didn’t have any coriander so a suggested substitute was caraway seeds, sprinkled some of that in, and it’s delightfully fragrant and meaty.
This will be a new fall/winter favorite. We’ve recently gone whole food/plant based eating and many of your recipes fit the bill. Thank you for all your hard work on these magnificent weekly recipes. I always look forward to receiving your emails.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Andi!
Kristen says
I may give this a whirl in the instant pot today, sounds delish!
Yay! Let us know how it goes!
Sandra J Scarborough says
How long did you cook in the instant pot?
Robin says
Would love to know how it went and what you did. Thanks!
Claire says
This was so delicious, comforting, flavorsome… A big big hit!
I love your recipes and would love to have an app. Would be happy to pay as well to support your work.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Claire!
Kelly says
I made this tonight and it was very good! I looked at your Moroccan spiced lentil recipe for cross reference and decided to add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste to the soup. I also used canned brown lentils instead of dry lentils because I have had a difficult time finding them dry. I added them at the point I added the green beans. My husband and I both said the recipe will go into my permanent recipe notebook.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Kelly!
Marsha says
Made this tonight. Boiled 1 cup of green lentils instead of soaking. Added soaked previously dried shiitake mushrooms (about 8-10). Added a splash of Tamari and about 2 Tbs butter. Reduced coconut sugar to 1 Tbs. Otherwise, I followed the recipe. It was delicious. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Marsha!
Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers! xo
Mindy says
Have you ever prepared in an instant pot? I’d love to know the timing for that. This sound delicious.
We haven’t! But assume it would be similar to cook times / methods for other lentil soup recipes?
Sachi says
I’m making this soup today! I love your recipes; they’ve been such a big help and delight for me and my partner (and his colleagues who get lots of yummy treats as a result;)! Thank you for sharing your creations❣️❣️
So kind! Hope you love it, Sachi!
SF says
P.S. The NY Times published a version of this dish a few years ago. I do think the extra garlic, coriander, and turmeric would help improve upon it even more. I highly recommend serving with a lime wedge as they suggest in the Times recipe – it really amps up the flavor.
Thanks for sharing!
Rj says
It signals disordered eating when one removes the oil from a recipe and calls steaming aromatics and vegetables “sautéing” – it is a strange way to write a recipe. “Sautéing” without oil can only make a recipe less flavorful, why did you make this choice?
Ah, good question. Some people follow a no / low-oil diet so I include this option for this reason. But, oil works well too and is actually our preferred!
Justise says
Maybe you can broaden your horizons Rj. It is not uncommon to saute veggies with water only. As Dana has responded, there are many of us who follow a no/low-oil diet. It so happened that I just recently switched from a life-time of sauteing with oil to using just water. I was about to acknowledge her for including this healthier option and looking forward to making this recipe!
A low-oil diet decreases the load on your liver and is far better for your health. Of course it is all a matter of personal choice at the end of the day. I certainly wouldn’t consider people like yourself who use oil for sauteing as a signal for ‘disordered eating’. So neither should you. Just because we see things differently.
Kelly says
Would it be “against” North African rules to add canned crushed or diced tomatoes? And how about spinach instead of kale?
I can’t speak to North African customs. But I don’t think those changes would negatively impact the flavor or texture.
Joanne Johnson says
I will make this tonight. I do want to say that your photos are among the best I have seen on the web.
So kind. Thanks, Joanne!
Samantha says
Wow! This soup is giving off MAJOR fall and winter coziness! We’ve had an unseasonably early snowfall in Calgary recently and soup’s have been on my radar. Looking forward to cooking this very soon!
Hope you love it, Samantha!