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Spicy Sweet Potato, Kale & Chickpea Soup

This soup was created, like most of my recipes, by opening my fridge and seeing what I had in there. It was a cold winter day in Toronto and I felt like I needed something to warm me up, but at the same time something heathy and with a punch of flavour.

Since making this soup, my sister-in-law together with my niece as well as a university friend have asked me for the recipe, and now it's time to share is with the world. Make it, and let me know what you think!

Yield: 5-6 servings

Ingredients:

1-2 Tbsp Coconut oil

1 ea Large white or yellow onion, diced

3 stalks Celery, diced

2 ea Large carrots, peeled & diced

2 ea Jalapeños, diced (1 jalapeño if a milder soup is preferred)

2 ea Large sweet potatoes, peeled & diced

1 bunch Kale, washed & roughly chopped

1 can Chickpeas (can be substituted with cooked chickpeas)

10 cups Water (vegetable or chicken stock can be used OR a combination of stock, water & coconut

milk, see notes below)

2 Tbsp Honey

Salt To taste

Black Pepper To taste

Garnish ides: greek yoghurt and pomegranate seeds, toasted pepitas or pumpkin seeds, roasted & crushed cashews OR roasted slivered almonds. See below.

Method:

  1. In a large pot add coconut oil and when hot add onion, celery and carrots and sauté until onion is translucent. Season with some salt and pepper.

  2. Add the jalapeños and sweet potatoes and sauté for another 6 minutes or so making sure nothing is burning. Season once again with some salt and pepper. (By seasoning in layers, all the vegetables will be seasoned and the soup will require less seasoning at the end).

  3. Add the water or stock making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, add the kale, chickpeas and honey and lower to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes or until all vegetables (especially the sweet potato) are soft.

  4. Using a hand blender, blend the soup until smooth - be careful if using a regular blender as hot liquids tend to react when you bend them. Adjust consistency and seasoning and simmer for another 5 minutes. If too thick, just add more water or stock.

  5. Garnish with some Greek yogurt and pomegranate seeds and enjoy.

Notes:

  • Substitute some of the liquid (water and/or stock) with coconut milk for a sweeter and creamier result.

  • Instead of the pomegranate seeds, use toasted pepitas or roasted and crushed cashews.

  • By cutting all ingredients around the same size, you are guaranteeing uniform cooking throughout, make sure to practice your knife skills ;)

ABE'S COOKING TIPS & POINTERS

#1 

Prep, cut and measure ingredients before you start cooking to ease the process.  Organization is key and lists are your friends.

 

#2

Put a dish towel or a damp paper towel under your cutting board to keep it from slipping and moving around.

 

#3

Grate garlic and ginger with a microplane instead of mincing them with a knife.

 

#4

"Clean as you go" so you are not overwhelmed when you are done.  Find those down moments to wash utensils, pots & pans, and wipe counters, so you can enjoy your food and not have to clean all at the end.

 

#5

Use fresh herbs at the end of the cooking process to add freshness and flavour to the dish, but add dry herbs at the beginning to extract the most flavour possible.

 

#6

Season in layers...  this means to add a little salt and pepper every time you add a new ingredient to the pot/pan.  This will ensure all your ingredients are well seasoned and you will just have to adjust seasoning at the end.

 

#7

Recipes are just guidelines.  Feel free replacing ingredients with similar ones you like.  And remember, time and temperatures may vary according to sizes of the food and your appliances.

 

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