Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Red Lentil Soup { Slimming World friendly }

Name: Sweet potato, chickpea and red lentil soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 200 g (7 oz) canned chickpeas, drained; 1 onion (finely diced); 3 garlic cloves (minced); 2 tsp ginger paste (or finely grated fresh ginger); 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp paprika; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp ground coriander; 400 g (14 oz) canned chopped tomatoes; 2 large sweet potatoes (peeled cut into small cubes); 200 g (1 cup) dry split red lentils ( rinsed and drained); 1.2 litre (5 cups) (vegetable stock (broth)); Lemon juice (to taste); Finely chopped coriander (cilantro); Lemon zest (to garnish); Handful mixed seeds (to garnish); Pinch dried red chilli flakes (to garnish); Salt and pepper (to taste)

March 19, 2018, Last Updated April 30, 2019 — by Lucy Parissi 25 Comments

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This hearty and delicious Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Red Lentil Soup ticks all the boxes: healthy, vegan, gluten free and Slimming World friendly. Quick to make it in your Instant Pot or stove.

A reader and personal favourite with dozens of five star reviews! ★★★★★

Our Instant Pot has been working overtime to keep us fed and warm with a variety of curries, stews, chilis and soup – I am starting to comprehend why some people have as many as three pressure cookers on the go at once.

And I have a new soup obsession – Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Red Lentil Soup. OMG it is so good that even my husband who thinks soup ‘is not food’ came around. Have made this baby twice in less than a week, that’s how yummy it is. 😋

I debated quite a bit about what to name it before coming up with this mouthful of a title… Is it a sweet potato soup? Yes… But it is also a red lentil soup AND a chickpea soup and so all three had to take top billing in the end. Count your lucky stars I didn’t add any more ingredients!

Here’s why it’s a must make

It is simply packed with plant-based power and goodness
Low in calories but hearty and satisfying
Vegan and gluten-free
Budget conscious with easy to find purse-friendly ingredients
Cooks in 10 minutes in a pressure cooker or 30 minutes on the stove
FREE on the Slimming World plan provided you replace the oil with a cooking spray (such as Fry Light).
Suitable for freezing (see tips)

Sweet Potato, Chickpea & Red Lentil Soup – Instant Pot Method

STEP 1. Heat the oil (or use cooking spray) in your pressure cooker using the ‘sauté’ function. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until softened.
STEP 2. Add the salt, paprika, ground cumin and ground coriander. Stir to combine.

Making soup in the Instant Pot - sautéing onions and spices collage

STEP 3. Now add your sweet potatoes, chickpeas, red lentils, stock and finally the chopped tomatoes.
STEP 4. Set vent to sealing and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, then release the pressure manually.

Sweet potato red lentil soup preparation in a pressure cooker

STEP 5. Transfer a couple of ladlefuls of the soup to a jug or a blender. The more blended soup you add the thicker the serve.

STEP 6. Blitz using an immersion stick or in your blender.
STEP 7. Pour the blended soup back into the pot and stir to combine.

STEP 8. Stir in some lemon or lime juice to add some acidity – I used 1 tablespoon.Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve the soup garnished with chopped coriander (cilantro), lemon zest and a handful of crunchy seeds.

Stovetop Method

This soup is just as easy to make on your stove. Heat the oil (or use a low-calorie cooking spray for Slimming World version) in a deep pot. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are cooked through. Follow steps 5-7 of the Instant Pot method.

TIPS, TRICKS AND FAQs

This recipe straddles the line between soup and stew – it is very thick and really satisfying. If you wanted to add a bit less stock and serve it over rice or quinoa, then I say go ahead!
You could also pack it with even more nutritious yumminess by adding some chopped spinach right before serving so that it wilts.
Replace the sweet potato with cubed butternut squash or use a bit of both.
Dry or cooked chickpeas: I used ready cooked (canned) chickpeas here, but you could also use dried chickpeas if you wanted. If you use dry chickpeas they will need 40 minutes cooking on high pressure if unsoaked and 25 minutes cooking if soaked overnight. On the stove, cook soaked chickpeas for 40 minutes until soft.
Don’t forget to reserve the chickpea brine (aquafaba) – it may come in handy if you want to make vegan macarons!
The soup will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge. Cool completely before storing.
If you wish to freeze the soup then cool completely, portion into suitable containers and use within 3 months. Allow the soup to defrost in the fridge overnight or transfer to a microwave safe bowl and blast for a couple of minutes. Break the soup up and then heat for two minutes on full power, stir and heat for another minute or until piping hot.

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