Curried Sweet Potato Soup

I spent this morning cleaning my house, bathrooms mostly. Ugh. So I was in the mood for something yummy and easy. This soup comes together really fast, and unlike most soup/ stew recipes you don’t end up with a truck load of leftovers! To all you non-drinkers out there, this recipe calls for white wine. It’s not like I drink, but I cook enough that I keep white and red wine on hand. You don’t need anything expensive, and the flavor is amazing so I would encourage you to give it a try.

For this recipe you will need:

-1/2 cup chopped onion
-1/4 cup diced carrot
-1/4 cup diced celery
-1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (I left this out, not crazy about the flavor)
-1 bay leaf
-pinch of red pepper flakes
-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
-1 &1/2 cups sweet potato, peeled and cubed (I used canned)
-1 teaspoon curry powder
-1/4 cup dry white wine
-4 cups chicken broth
-1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained
-1/4 cup brown lentils
-1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
-juice of ½ a lemon
-Plain yogurt or sour cream to top (I used sour cream, yum!)

Directions:
Sauté onion, carrot, celery, ginger, bay leaf, and pepper flakes in oil in a pot over med-high heat until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and curry and sauté for another minute.
Deglaze with white wine; simmer until almost evaporated, then stir in broth, tomatoes and lentils. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until lentils and sweet potatoes are tender, 25-30 minutes.
Off heat, stir in 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Garnish each serving with sour cream and some of remaining cilantro.