Spicy Sweet Potato Soup

I have to admit, for years I hated sweet potatoes, because the only way I’d ever had them was … well, “sweet”.  Drenched in brown sugar and maple syrup, often cooked in casseroles with marshmallows on top.

Then, about 15 years ago, I had an epiphany.  What if I cooked sweet potatoes just like … well, regular potatoes?  Baked them in the oven and just added butter, salt, (sometimes garlic salt), and pepper?

To my surprise I discovered I loved them.

My Punjabi partner also hated sweet potatoes – because he’d only ever had them the same way, in sickeningly sweet casseroles.  So last Autumn, when sweet potatoes started making an appearance, I created this little vegan Indian fusion sweet potato soup.  It’s been a big hit with students in my cooking classes.  It’s very much a “modify to suit yourself” soup – but don’t let that scare you, because really, as long as you like sweet potatoes, you can’t screw it up.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Sweet Potatoes
• 1 Smallish Onion, diced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 teaspoon Ginger Paste or about 1 inch piece of Fresh Ginger, minced
• 1-3 Green Chili Peppers, chopped fine (or, if that’s not available, 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon red Cayenne pepper)
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 teaspoons Salt (maybe more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon Curry Powder (Optional, see notes)
• 1/2 -1 teaspoon Garam Masala (Optional, see notes)
• 3 cups Water
• 1-2 Cups favorite vegan cooking “Milk”
• EarthBalance (optional)
• Chopped Cilantro (optional)
• Soy Yogurt (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

• Cook sweet potatoes in the oven at 425 for approximately 1 hour.  Once they’re done, let cool briefly, then remove skins.
• Chop/dice/mince the onion, garlic, ginger, and chili peppers.   If you can’t find green chili peppers (in Charlotte you have to buy them from an ethnic store), substitute 1/4 – 1/2 red Cayenne pepper later.
• Saute the onion in the olive oil, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, ginger, and peppers, if using.  Saute another 3-4 minutes.
• Add the sweet potatoes to the pot and mash with spoon.  There should be enough liquid in the sweet potatoes you can stir them with the onions, garlic, etc.  Add salt and pepper.  Add cayenne pepper, if you didn’t add chili peppers earlier.  Add curry powder.  If you don’t have curry powder, don’t worry about it.  If you do, be sure not to add more than 1/2 teaspoon.  Add water.  Stir well.
• If you have an immersion blender (I highly recommend them) now’s the time to use it.  If not, don’t worry about it.  You can pour the soup into a regular blender later right before serving, or just leave the soup chunky.
• Simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes.
• Add your favorite vegan cooking “milk” – for me, it’s usually some version of unsweetened soymilk.  Depending on the size of the sweet potatoes you used, you’ll need to add one to two cups.  Start with one and add more, depending on what looks good to you.
• If you have garam masala, add at least 1/2 teaspoon but no more than 1 teaspoon.  If you don’t have garam masala, don’t worry about it.
• Simmer again on low heat for 5 minutes.  It’s important the soup doesn’t come to a full boil – that can really change the taste/consistency of faux milks.  If you haven’t already used an immersion blender, you can carefully blend the soup, in batches, in a blender, or just serve chunky.  Just mash the soup with a spoon against the sides of the pot to get it as smooth as possible.
• If you want it really rich and super creamy, add a teaspoon to a tablespoon of EarthBalance to the soup.  Let melt and stir.
• Ladle into bowls, then top with chopped cilantro or a dollop of soy yogurt (again, cilantro and yogurt are optional).

NOTES:

• My favorite way to enjoy this soup is WITH garam masala and WITHOUT the curry powder – a more traditional Indian approach.  However, many of my students prefer the curry powder – either with or without the garam masala added later!  Experiment to find out what works for you.  If you do use curry powder, remember it is ALWAYS better to err on the side of less rather than more.  If you are timid about spices, this soup will actually taste fine without the curry powder and garam masala.  If you accidentally get the soup too spicy for your taste, add more milk.
• Don’t try to substitute Jalapeno peppers for the green chili peppers UNLESS you bought them from a farmer’s market and they truly have some fire! The Jalapeno peppers I buy from Harris Teeter have a tendency to be too sweet and mild and don’t add anything to my recipes (or even worse, detract from them because of the sweetness).
• The amount of “milk” used is also subjective, depending on how thin or thick you like your soup.  The soup will definitely get thicker as it sits.  Some of my students enjoy using SoDelicious coconut milk instead of soymilk.  It’s not what I prefer, but apparently it suits American palates.
• Chopped cilantro and yogurt are optional garnishes.  If you have neither on hand, just do a quick grind of black pepper!

To me, this soup tastes like Autumn in a bowl.  Go ahead – experiment with it, play with it, and make it your own.

Tagged as: indian sweet potato soup, sweet potato soup, Vegan MOFO, vegan soup

Categorised in: Autumn, Indian & Indian Fusion, Soup, Top 12, Vegan Recipes