This Vegan Carrot Lentil Soup is made with roasted sweet potatoes and carrots that come together beautifully with warm spices and red lentils. A creamy, cozy winter soup full of comforting flavor. Garnished with roasted rosemary white beans.
My husband and I recently went out to dinner for his birthday, and we had the most delicious creamy pumpkin soup. It was garnished with a creamy black sesame topping. I thought to myself, it is truly the garnishes that can make a creamy soup so delightful! I had been wanting to create a carrot lentil soup for awhile, so I came up with this Roasted Sweet Potato Carrot Lentil Soup and had lots of fun with the toppings!
The star is the roasted rosemary white beans. They are crunchy like croutons but have warm, herby flavor. Nothing beats the beautiful display and creamy texture of a drizzle of coconut milk against a bright orange backdrop. And sesame seeds and sumac add that extra bit of texture and flavor.
All together, this soup is warm, comforting, grounding, flavorful, and velvety. I know you will love it.
Why You'll Love This
- Deliciously creamy & comforting. A cozy, warming soup perfect for cold weather nights.
- Incredibly nutritious. This soup is a superfood! Red lentils, sweet potatoes, and carrots are each packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and even more nutrients!
- Rich with layers of flavor. Roasting vegetables with spices make their flavors come alive so much more in this soup than if they were sautéed.
Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes: You can leave the skin on.
- Carrots
- Red lentils
- Onion: I like to use yellow onion.
- Garlic cloves
- Fresh ginger
- Apple: Choose your favorite kind! I used Honeycrisp. Gala is another good choice.
- Olive oil
- Maple syrup: Can sub with coconut or brown sugar.
- Vegetable broth
- Coconut milk: Regular, unsweetened.
- Spices: Paprika, chili powder, cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper, dried rosemary, and red pepper flakes.
- White beans: Cannellini, Navy, or Great Northern.
How to Make Carrot Lentil Soup
Preheat oven to 425F. Chop the sweet potatoes (you can leave the skin on) and the carrots. Spread out on a baking sheet and drizzle olive oil over top, and add the spices. Use a spatula or spoon to mix everything together. Bake 25-30 minutes, stirring the pan halfway.
Drain and rinse the white beans. Pat dry. Add to a medium bowl and mix with olive oil, dried rosemary, salt, and pepper. Toss on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until desired crispiness. Stir halfway.
Chop the onion, peel and mince the garlic and ginger, and chop the apple.
When the roasted veggies have about 10 minutes left, heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Then turn the heat to just below medium, add the garlic and ginger and sauté for a few more minutes. When ready, add the roasted sweet potatoes and carrots, along with the salt and red pepper flakes. Add the apple and maple syrup. Bring the heat to medium and stir to combine everything well. Cook for a few minutes to let the flavors come together.
Add the lentils and broth to the pot. Bring to a bubble over medium-high heat, then simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
Transfer the soup to a blender, using a ladle. Be careful and place a towel over the lid as you blend on high until creating a creamy, smooth consistency. Transfer back to the pot, keeping warm over low heat until ready to serve. Stir in the coconut milk.
Serve in bowls with a spoonful of the roasted white beans on top. Serve with any of the optional garnishes desired: drizzle of coconut milk, fresh parsley, sesame seeds, chili flakes, and sumac.
How to Serve Carrot Lentil Soup
This creamy soup lends itself to so many delightful toppings and garnishes! Serve in bowls with any of the toppings listed here, in addition to the roasted rosemary white beans, of course!
- Drizzle of coconut milk
- Fresh minced parsley
- Sesame seeds
- Chili flakes
- Sumac
- Croutons
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Drizzle of chili oil
What to Serve with Carrot Lentil Soup
If served as a main, I recommend pairing this soup with a warm, crusty bread or toasted naan bread. You could serve it with my Sourdough Garlic Bread.
If serving with a side salad, I recommend my Kale Pomegranate Salad!
The Roasted Harissa Cauliflower Salad would also make a lovely pairing.
Chef Tips
- Leave the skin on the potatoes. The skin is a good source of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. They are actually more concentrated in nutrients than the center of the sweet potatoes!
- Pat the beans dry. Don't skip this step! Having dry beans will really help them crisp up!
- Don't skimp on toppings. The toppings and garnishes are the best part. Have fun with them!
Frequently Asked Questions
This red lentil carrot soup is SO healthy! Red lentils are rich in B vitamins and folate. They are also high in both protein and fiber. Carrots and sweet potatoes are both full of vitamin A. Carrots have biotin and potassium, and sweet potatoes offer vitamin C, potassium, and zinc. This soup is a nutrition powerhouse.
Nope! Simply add the dry lentils to the soup and they will cook very quickly.
Yes. The first time I made this soup I only used 4 cups of broth and it was too thick. You need all 6 cups of broth here to maintain a creamy, yet soup-like consistency. When reheating the soup, you may even need to add extra broth.
Storage & Reheating
Once cooled down, store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of broth or water to help achieve an ideal, creamy, soup-like consistency.
This soup is freezer-friendly! You can freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
I hope you enjoy this warm and cozy Roasted Sweet Potato Carrot Lentil Soup! Let me know what you think in the comments, and be sure to come back and rate the recipe. 🙂
More Cozy Soup Recipes!
- White Bean Cauliflower Soup
- Thai Butternut Squash Soup
- French Lentil Soup with Mushrooms
- Vegan Tortellini Soup
- Tuscan White Bean Soup
📖 Recipe
Roasted Sweet Potato Carrot Lentil Soup
Equipment
- High speed blender
Ingredients
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Carrots
- 1 pound sweet potatoes
- 1 pound carrots
- 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Roasted White Beans
- 15 ounces white beans canned, Cannellini, Navy, or Great Northern
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Carrot Lentil Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 1-inch knob fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 apple
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 cup red lentils
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup coconut milk
Optional Garnishes
- Additional coconut milk for drizzling on top
- Minced parsley
- Sesame seeds
- Chili flakes
- Sumac
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Chop the sweet potatoes (you can leave the skin on) and the carrots. Spread out on a baking sheet and drizzle olive oil over top, and add the spices. Use a spatula or spoon to mix everything together. Bake 25-30 minutes, stirring the pan halfway.
- Drain and rinse the white beans. Pat dry. Add to a medium bowl and mix with olive oil, dried rosemary, salt, and pepper. Toss on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until desired crispiness. Stir halfway.
- Chop the onion, peel and mince the garlic and ginger, and chop the apple.
- When the roasted veggies have about 10 minutes left, heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Then turn the heat to just below medium, add the garlic and ginger and sauté for a few more minutes. When ready, add the roasted sweet potatoes and carrots, along with the salt and red pepper flakes. Add the apple and maple syrup. Bring the heat to medium and stir to combine everything well. Cook for a few minutes to let the flavors come together.
- Add the lentils and broth to the pot. Bring to a bubble over medium-high heat, then simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Transfer the soup to a blender, using a ladle. Be careful and place a towel over the lid as you blend on high until creating a creamy, smooth consistency. Transfer back to the pot, keeping warm over low heat until ready to serve. Stir in the coconut milk.
- Serve in bowls with a spoonful of the roasted white beans on top. Serve with any of the optional garnishes desired: drizzle of coconut milk, fresh parsley, sesame seeds, chili flakes, and sumac.
