Sweet Potato Soup with Red Lentils and Chickpeas
, Updated Sep 07, 2025
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This hearty and delicious Sweet Potato Soup with Red Lentils and Chickpeas 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 favorite with dozens of five star reviews! ★★★★★
You will also love my Satay Sweet Potato Curry!
There’s nothing quite as comforting as a bowl of homemade sweet potato soup — smooth, creamy, and full of flavor. This version takes things up a notch with red lentils and chickpeas, which make it extra hearty and protein-packed while still being completely vegan. Whether you’re making it in a pressure cooker for speed or simmering gently on the stove, this is a cozy, nourishing soup that feels like comfort in a bowl.
And I have a new 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 this week, that’s how yummy it is. 😋
Sweet potato soup is popular around the world, often blended smooth and enriched with spices. This version borrows inspiration from Mediterranean and Indian cooking, where pulses like chickpeas and lentils are used to add heartiness and nourishment. The result is a soup that’s budget-friendly, healthy, and packed with flavor.
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
- Suitable for freezing (see tips)
How to make Sweet Potato Soup with Red Lentils and Chickpeas
- Heat the oil in your pressure cooker using the ‘sauté’ function. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until softened.
- Add the spices, salt, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, lentils, chickpeas and stock and stir.
- Now add your sweet potatoes, chickpeas, red lentils, stock and finally the chopped tomatoes.
- Set vent to sealing and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, then release the pressure manually.
- Transfer a couple of ladlefuls of the soup to a jug or a blender. The more blended soup you add the thicker the serve.
- Blitz using an immersion stick or in your blender. Pour the blended soup back into the pot and stir to combine.
- 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.
Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are cooked through. Follow steps 5-7 of the Instant Pot method.
Recipe Tips
- 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!
- Leftovers will keep for up to 3-5 days in the fridge stored in an airtight container. Cool completely before storing.
Freezing instructions
If you wish to freeze the soup then cool completely, portion into suitable containers, label and use within three 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.
More Instant Pot Soups
Have you made Sweet Potato Soup recipe? Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes. I can’t wait to see your take on it!
Sweet Potato Soup with Red Lentils and Chickpeas
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 14 oz (400g) canned chickpeas , drained
- 2 tsp ginger paste or finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 14 oz (400g) canned chopped tomatoes
- 2 large sweet potatoes peeled cut into small cubes
- 1 cup (200g) split red lentils rinsed and drained
- 5 cups (1.2 lt) vegetable stock (broth)
- lemon juice to taste
- cilantro (coriander) chopped
- lemon zest to garnish
- 1 tbsp mixed seeds to garnish
- pinch red pepper flakes to garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Instant Pot Method
- Heat the oil in your pressure cooker using the ‘sauté’ function. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until softened.2 tbsp olive oil, 1 large onion, 2 tsp ginger paste, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the spices, salt, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, lentils, chickpeas and stock and stir.14 oz (400g) canned chickpeas, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp ground coriander, 14 oz (400g) canned chopped tomatoes, 2 large sweet potatoes, 1 cup (200g) split red lentils, 5 cups (1.2 lt) vegetable stock
- Set vent to sealing and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, then release the pressure manually.
- Stir in some lemon or lime juice to add some acidity – I used 1 tablespoon.lemon juice
- Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as needed.salt and pepper
- Transfer 2-3 ladlefuls of the soup in a blender and process until smooth, or blitz using an immersion blender. Stir this back into the soup.
- Serve the soup garnished with chopped coriander (cilantro), lemon zest and a handful of crunchy seeds.cilantro, lemon zest, 1 tbsp mixed seeds, pinch red pepper flakes
Stovetop Method
- Heat the oil in a pot. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring, until softened.
- Add the spices, salt, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, lentils, chickpeas and stock and stir.
- Bring to a rolling simmer and then reduce heat and simmer gently for 20-25 minutes.
- Transfer 2-3 ladlefuls of the soup in a blender and process until smooth, or blitz using an immersion blender. Stir this back into the soup.
- Serve the soup garnished with chopped coriander (cilantro), lemon zest and a handful of crunchy seeds.
Notes
- You could also pack it with even more nutritious yumminess by adding some leafy greens – stir in some chopped spinach right before serving so that it wilts.
- You can 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
Can I use brown lentils?
I think red lentils are much better suited in this recipe and they cook a lot quicker. If you use brown lentils the soup will have a brown colour overall. I have a few other soup recipes which use brown lentils such as https://www.supergoldenbakes.com/wordpress/lentil-soup-with-rosemary-and-walnu/
This soup was absolutely delicious. I added some red pepper flakes for spice and 1 teaspoon of yellow curry powder, but otherwise just as written and it was delicious. I will definitely be making again! Thank you for the great recipe
Thanks so much Mary very glad you enjoyed it!
This is so good! I came across this recipe looking to use a big yam that had been sitting on the counter. My three year old wanted 3 bowls! We were out of chickpeas so I used a can of white beans instead. Delicious, we will make again for sure!
Wish my kids were as easy to please! So glad you liked it
Super recipe! Easy and amazingly delicious
Thank you so much for your comment glad you liked it
Just made this tonight! Absolutely delicious. Wow the flavours are incredible. I didn’t change a thing, aside from cooking down the onions a little longer. Cooked on stove too as don’t have a pressure cooker. Will be making this again for sure. Great for the cold winter nights soon to approach us more fully in the UK. Thank you very much.
Thank you for your comment! It is yummy
I subbed 2tsp Garam masala for the cumin, paprika, coriander. Skipped the lemon, served with wilted greens. OMG this soup is delicious.
So glad you like it 😘
Absolutely delicious! I used fire roasted tomatoes and Vegetable Better than Boullion broth.
This was relatively eay and delicious. Packed with nutiyion and a great way to use up sweet potatoes. My only change was to sauté the onions a bit before throwing in the much more delicate garlic, ginger & spices. A few zaps with the immersion blender after cooking turned this into a thick, savory stew. Will keep this recipe in regular rotation. Yum!
Thanks for the comment and suggestion! So glad you liked it 🙂
I made this to store in the freezer for an emergency meal. However, it was so good, I couldn’t stop eating it. There were leftovers and they were a hit with the husband, still waiting to find out what the kids think.
Thanks for commenting! I find it quite addictive too (but its healthy so all good)
This will be my first recipe made in an IP. Mine is a 3 at so do I need to cut recipe in half? Thanks! This looks killer delicious!
I don’t think so – but I haven’t got first hand experience with a smaller pot. Can you check against the maximum level of liquid for your pot? When I make it the level is only about half full. Please let me know how you get on!