This smoky sweet potato soup is creamy, just the right amount of sweet, and with a savory smokiness that makes this soup the perfect way of eating sweet potatoes.
Vegan Yack Attack’s Plant-Based Meal Prep Book
This recipe is from the book Vegan Yack Attack’s Plant-Based Meal Prep by Jackie Sobon. I am a huge fan of Jackie, her blog, and her books. Her recipes are easy to make, delicious, and well thought out. Her latest book is no exception, in fact, this is the book I wish I has when I first went vegan!
In this book you will find all the recipes to successfully vegan meal plan for 1 – 2 people or a whole family. It includes weekly menus, shopping lists, guidelines for prepping, and of course the recipes with gorgeous pictures taken by Jackie herself.
The recipes are labeled by their difficulty, time, and whether they are soy-free, nut-free, GF, etc. There are also nutrition facts for all the recipes. So as you can see whether you are vegan for health or are just starting out because you feel deep compassion for animals this book will give you the tools you need to get started.
The Origin of the Sweet Potato
Did you know that sweet potatoes come from somewhere between Yucatan (Mexico) and Peru?? Well more like South Mexico, Central America, and South America. There’s actually evidence of sweet potatoes in Peru dating back to 8000 A.C.! Nowadays, in Mexico sweet potatoes are mainly used to make candy or baked goods with, but I like to think that Mexico’s ancient civilizations ate sweet potatoes in soups like this one.
The Health Benefits of eating Sweet Potato
I wasn’t a big fan of sweet potatoes before, but I only started eating them when I learned about all of their health benefits. Sweet potatoes contain 259 mg. of potassium, beta carotene ( a powerful antioxidant), fiber, and vitamin C. All this makes them good for preventing vitamin A deficiency, manage diabetes, and help protect/prevent/manage cancer. They are also naturally sweet, but not high on the glycemic index. One of my favorite breakfasts now is baked sweet potato with peanut butter and banana slices!
The Recipe: Smoky Sweet Potato Soup
This soup is great for storing in the fridge to eat during the week, and it also freezes well if you want to plan way ahead. If you choose to freeze it, divide it into five freezer-safe storage containers and freeze for up to 6 months.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Sunflower oil
- 1½ cups Diced red onion
- 1¼ cups Diced orange bell pepper
- 1½ pounds Sweet potatoes, unpeeled, diced
- 2 Large carrots chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons Nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons Smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
- 4 cups Vegetable broth
- 2 cups Water
- 2/3 cup Red quinoa, rinsed
- 1 cup Frozen spinach, broken up into pieces
- ½-1 tsp. Salt
- ½ cup Roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- ¼ cup Fresh cilantro leaves
- 5 slices Toasted crusty bread (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the sunflower oil over medium heat. Add the red onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
- Adjust the heat to medium-low and add the sweet potatoes, carrots, garlic, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika,
- garlic powder, and cumin. Cook for 5 more minutes, adding 1 or 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) water if necessary to prevent sticking.
- Stir in the vegetable broth, water, and quinoa, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, adjust the heat so that the soup is simmering, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes longer.
- Puree half of the soup mixture using an immersion blender or by carefully transferring to a blender. Add the spinach, stirring to break up any clumps, and add salt to taste. Let the soup cool for 20 minutes, then divide it between 5 jars or storage containers. Top each serving with the pumpkin seeds and cilantro and store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Serve with a slice of bread, if desired.
, you can use canned. Add it during the final ½ hour of cooking.
, which are sun-dried seaweed flakes rich in fiber, protein, vitamin B12, and omega-3.
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