Servings: 7

1 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup onions, diced 1 cup onions, diced
1 cup celery, diced 1 cup celery, diced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 tsp garlic, minced 1 tsp garlic, minced
1 cup sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes 1 cup sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 tsp chili powder 2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups vegetable broth, reduced sodium 3 cups vegetable broth, reduced sodium
1 can (14 oz/398 ml) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with liquid 1 can (14 oz/398 ml) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with liquid
3 Tbsp smoky barbecue sauce 3 Tbsp smoky barbecue sauce
½ tsp sea salt ½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp ground pepper ½ tsp ground pepper
1 can (19 oz/540 ml) lentils, drained and rinsed 1 can (19 oz/540 ml) lentils, drained and rinsed
2-3 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, minced 2 to 3 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, minced

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, celery, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook and stir until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Add sweet potatoes, chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, and cinnamon. Mix well. Add broth, tomatoes and their liquid, barbecue sauce, salt and pepper/ Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the lentils and simmer for 5 more minutes.
Remove soup from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree about half the soup, using quick pulses, so it’s a bit lumpy, but appears thicker (see photo). Stir in cilantro.