On the Table: Curried Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup

Taste.com.au

It's a vicious cycle, I'll admit it. We eat healthy most of the year. But then summer arrives, and our food choices aren't quite what they should be.

So as we often do after the summer, we are getting back on track with our more typical eating habits and exercise routine.

Zack and I have also decided to take a break from meat, as we do once or twice a year. NOTE: I am not a vegetarian! And I know myself well enough to know this is not a permanent change. But I have found that reducing my meat intake works really well for me and my health.

The thing I've experienced in the past when cutting out meat is that I get bored with the same old recipes over and over. And that's typically what ends it for me.

So this time around, I'm really trying to branch out and try some new things. Ten days in, and I'm feeling pretty positive! So far I've made lasagna, spaghetti, sweet potato & chickpea curry, tacos, spinach paneer, greek pizza, and kung pao cauliflower.

Last night, I tried a new soup. I used a few different recipes as inspiration and came up with this curried sweet potato & lentil soup. Everyone liked it, so we'll definitely be adding it to the vegetarian rotation.

If you have meatless meal ideas you'd like to share, I'm all ears!

Curried Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup
1.5 lbs sweet potatoes, baked & skins removed, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 small carrots, diced
1 apple, peeled, cored & diced
Ginger (dried, or finely sliced, to taste)
1/2 cup dried lentils, cooked well and drained
1 can light coconut milk
3 cups water or broth
Curry powder (1 tbsp or more, to taste)
Salt & pepper, to taste

Place onion, carrots, apple and ginger in a pot with a bit of water. Bring to a boil and continue cooking until vegetables are tender. Drain. Place all ingredients in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Using an immersion blender/stick mixer, blend the soup until smooth. Serve hot. If desired, you could top it with coconut milk, sour cream, or quark/kesam.

Here are some other recipes you might want to check out:
The Gracious Pantry's Curried Sweet Potato Soup
BBC Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup
She Likes Food Curried Sweet Potato, Carrot & Red Lentil Soup
Taste.com's Curried Sweet Potato Soup