It has been quiet here on the blog this month… My winter semester class has kept me very busy – this professor definitely came close to including a full semester’s workload in three weeks! I take my final next Monday, and the rest of the week off until the spring semester begins – but that will be when I attend my transfer orientation and prep for the new semester! I have to admit I’m a bit nervous to be back in a traditional classroom, especially being considerably older than the typical college student. I’m also excited to have the interactions and discussion that come with that environment, versus online classes that usually make me feel pretty isolated from the other students.
My husband gave me “The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook: Entertaining for Absolutely Every Occasion” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and I absolutely love it! This is definitely not a cookbook full of salads and the same-old veggie recipes, and this sweet potato soup is an excellent example of that. Plus, if you’re experiencing the gray, rainy weather we’ve been having here in Maryland, a hot, comforting soup is just what you need. The soup’s sweet potato base is given a lot of interesting flavor with the addition of ginger, red pepper flakes, and vanilla and it is filling enough that a bowl makes a good meal on its own (though a side of crusty bread is perfect with just about any soup!). Additionally, sweet potatoes are so good for you and this recipe is just one more delicious way to add them into your diet. Added bonus – this recipe is quick to prepare, freezes well, and makes a perfect meal to take along to work and school.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I doubled this for some extra spice)
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks (I left the skin on and the soup still blended perfectly smooth)
- 4 cups of veggie broth
- 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- lime slices for garnish (I used ginger slices)
Directions
Pour the olive oil into a stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until nearly translucent, then stir in the ginger and red pepper flakes, allowing it to cook for another 3-5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and veggie broth to the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high and simmer until the potatoes are tender (this took longer for my potatoes than the five minutes the book suggested – about 10). Add the vanilla seeds. Remove from heat and with your immersion blender (I used a regular blender and mixed it in two batches), blend the soup ingredients until smooth. Add the lime juice and maple syrup, blending briefly one more time to combine ingredients. My soup was very thick, so I added water until the consistency was just right!
Did you try this recipe? Let me know your thoughts! 🙂