This recipe for sweet potato soup has really special meaning to me. Not only is it one of my favorite soups for a cold winter (or San Francisco summer) day, it’s also the first soup I made with the glorious Vitamix. And not just any Vitamix, but my brand- new, shiny Vitamix. Yes, that’s right. My husband gave me one for my birthday and life has never been the same. Oh the smoothies, nut milks, soups and sorbets we’ve had over the past few months! I can’t remember what life was like before. Okay, I’m getting carried away and this is not an advertisement for Vitamix, but a really delicious recipe (although you should get one…it’s worth the splurge!).
Now back to the food. Sweet potatoes, spices, coconut milk…do I really need to say more? This is great as an appetizer, served before a slow-roasted lamb. Although it’s also satisfying enough to be served as a full meal.
A word of caution: Pre-Vitamix days (yes, there was such a time), I tried making this with my hand-held mixer. As a rookie food processor operator in those days, I made the mistake of blending this soup it a shallow dish without the supervision of, well, anyone. It’s probably a good thing since boiling hot soup went flying through the air, covering anything in its path, including me and my ceiling. I am pretty sure, on a bright day, you can still see remnants of the soup shining down on me from up above. In other words, avoid the burns and the mess and blend with caution, whether you’re using a hand-held mixer, food processor, or Vitamix. This is hot soup, people. Spicy!
Here’s what you need:
- 1.5 t cinnamon
- 1 t turmeric
- ½ t cumin
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 large sweet potato
- 2.5 cups stock
- 3 dates, pitted and sliced (sliced is easier on your food processor)
- Garnish with crushed red pepper, lime juice and/or coconut cream
Here’s what you do:
- In a large pot, heat the ghee over medium high heat.
- Once the pot is good an hot, add the onions and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
- Add the carrots and sweet potatoes and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften.
- Slowly pour in the stock and add the spices, garlic and dates.
- Cook over low to medium heat until all vegetables are tender.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly before adding to your Vitamix or food processor.
- Blend until it the soup reaches your desired consistency. If you’d like a soup that is less thick, add more stock until your reach the consistency you’d like.
- Ladle the soup into a bowl. Add a dollop of coconut cream, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Tangy, sweet and spicy! Delight in your hearty sweet potato soup!
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