Instant Pot Creamy Curried Red Lentil & Sweet Potato Soup
A velvety, nutrient-rich soup featuring red lentils and sweet potatoes with a warming curry flavor. The cashew cream adds luxurious texture without coconut milk's saturated fat. This version is optimized for the Instant Pot for convenient, hands-off cooking.
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode
| 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil | Sauté onion and carrots 3-4 min | Sauté garlic and ginger 1 min | Toast spices 30 seconds, stirring constantly | Stir together; scrape pot bottom | Seal; pressure-cook on high 10 min | Release naturally 10 min; quick-release remaining pressure | Blend soup in batches until smooth | Stir in 3/4 cup cream and lemon | Heat gently on low Sauté 2-3 min | Adjust seasoning | Ladle; garnish with remaining cream and toppings |
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| 1 medium onion, chopped | |||||||||||
| 2 carrots, chopped | |||||||||||
| 3 garlic cloves, minced | |||||||||||
| 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated | |||||||||||
| 2 tsp curry powder | |||||||||||
| 1 tsp ground cumin | |||||||||||
| 1/2 tsp ground coriander | |||||||||||
| 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon | |||||||||||
| Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional, for heat) | |||||||||||
| 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 3 cups) | |||||||||||
| 1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained | |||||||||||
| 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth | |||||||||||
| 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 30 minutes in hot water | Drain and rinse soaked cashews | Blend on high 1-2 min until smooth | Reserve 1 cup; refrigerate remaining cream | ||||||||
| 3/4 cup water | |||||||||||
| Pinch of salt | |||||||||||
| 1/2 tsp lemon juice | |||||||||||
| 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice | |||||||||||
| Salt and pepper to taste | |||||||||||
| Roasted pumpkin seeds | |||||||||||
| Fresh cilantro or parsley | |||||||||||
| Drizzle of olive oil | |||||||||||
| Additional cashew cream | |||||||||||
| Sprinkle of smoked paprika | |||||||||||