Smoky Sweet Potato Soup | Quarto Knows Blog

• Needs Some Heat • Freezer Friendly • Gluten Free• Soy Free • Nut Free • No Sugar Added

Yield: 5 servings

When I first went vegan, I subscribed to a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box, and the company that ran it would send recipe suggestions with each delivery. This played a huge part in my learning how to cook! A recipe similar to this one came to me with a ton of sweet potatoes, and after some serious tweaking I think it has reached its full potential. Smoky but not overly so, a little sweet but still savory, and super-satiating. Though the toasted bread is optional, I love eating this soup with a crusty slice of sourdough.

1 tablespoon (15 ml) sunflower oil
1½ cups (190 g) diced red onion
1¼ cups (188 g) diced orange bell pepper
1½ pounds (680 g) sweet potatoes, unpeeled, diced
2 large carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons (10 g) nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons (5 g) smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups (950 ml) vegetable broth
2 cups (475 ml) water
2/3 cup (116 g) red quinoa, rinsed
1 cup (110 g) frozen spinach, broken up into pieces
½–1 teaspoon salt
½ cup (70 g) roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
¼ cup (4 g) fresh cilantro leaves
5 slices of toasted crusty bread (optional)

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.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

Per serving (not including bread): 427 calories; 11 g fat; 72 g carbohydrates; 13 g fiber; 17 g sugar; 13 g protein

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.