Tag: soups

Spiced Sweet Potato Soup

Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to do a full moon after dark hike that ended with a fire meditation. It was an incredible event put on by my local yoga studio. When we arrived at the fire, our guide had warm soup prepared for us. Generally speaking, I tend to stick with the very common American soups: chicken noodle, vegetable beef, chili. You know the kind. But there was an option for a curried sweet potato soup that I couldn’t get enough of. I knew I had to get home and recreate my own version of it: A spiced sweet potato soup. 

I love the simplicity of this soup and the number of ingredients. For the most part, it’s the kind of soup you can have all the ingredients “on hand” and be able to throw it together when the “What are we going to have for dinner?!” comes up. It pairs well with a salad and some crusty bread (Seriously, check out my milk and honey sourdough bread. You’ll thank me). The spices are so warming, I can’t help but smile when I think of them.

This may be outside of my general “soup comfort zone,” but holy man, it’s GOOD. I practically licked out the Dutch oven and declared that I could eat it every week. I can not wait to share it with all of you!

Your Ingredients

  • ½ tablespoon coconut oil (or any other oil)
  • 1 cup diced onion 
  • 5 cups peeled and cubed sweet potato
  • 2 cups diced carrot 
  • ½ tablespoon minced garlic 
  • 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock, low sodium
  • ½ cup water 
  • 1 can original coconut milk 
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin 
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander 
  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric 
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼-½ teaspoon chili flakes 
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg 
  • ½ teaspoon salt 

Your Steps to Spiced Sweet Potato Soup 

In a large dutch oven or soup kettle, heat coconut oil. Once melted and hot, add onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until very soft and browned, about 7 minutes. Add sweet potato and carrot. Stir in stock and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Stir in spices: cumin, coriander, turmeric, pepper, chili flakes, nutmeg, and salt. Remove from heat. 

Using an immersion blender, puree vegetables with stock right in the cooking vessel. If an immersion blender isn’t available, the vegetables can be pureed in small batches in a food processor. Return to soup kettle. 

Slowly stir in coconut milk. Heat until warmed through. The spices will heighten in flavor over time. This is a great soup to prepare early in the day and serve for dinner, but it is DELICIOUS any time of day. 

I hope you like it as much as we do. It has a perfect balance of sweet and savory in a soup that warms you all the way through. And what a great way to have a meatless meal! 

Looking for other soup inspiration? Check out my cooking page!

  • Humble beginnings.
  • Beautifully browned.
  • All that orange goodness!
  • Spice of life!
  • Mix it all together!
  • Blend, blend, blend.
  • Stir in that coconut milk.
  • It’s just so beautiful.
  • Oh my yum!

Tools of the Trade

I can’t begin to share my full love of my immersion blender and my The Lodge Dutch Oven. They are my go kitchen tools. I like to say that a woman can do a whole heck of a lot with a dutch oven and a wooden spoon. These are my favorites:

Spiced Sweet Potato Soup

Sweet potatoes, carrots, and caramelized onions combine with coconut milk to make a delicious spiced sweet potato soup for any meatless meal!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course dinner, Soup
Cuisine Indian
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • ½ tablespoon coconut oil or any other oil
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 5 cups peeled and cubed sweet potato
  • 2 cups diced carrot
  • ½ tablespoon minced garlic
  • 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 can original coconut milk
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼-½ teaspoon chili flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • In a large dutch oven or soup kettle, heat coconut oil. Once melted and hot, add onion. Cook over medium heat until very soft and browned, about 7 minutes.
  • Add sweet potato, carrot, and garlic. Stir in stock and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
  • Stir in spices: cumin, coriander, turmeric, pepper, chili flakes, nutmeg, and salt. Remove from heat.
  • Using an immersion blender, puree vegetables with stock right in the cooking vessel. If an immersion blender isn’t available, the vegetables can be pureed in small batches in a food processor. Return to soup kettle.
  • Slowly stir in coconut milk. Heat until warmed through. The spices will heighten in flavor over time. This is a great soup to prepare early in the day and serve for dinner, but it is DELICIOUS any time of day.
Keyword soup, soup and stews, sweet potato, Vegan, vegetarian
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Creamy Ham and Potato Soup

I had a favorite ham and potato soup from my early days of cooking. Let me tell you, it was thickened by cheddar cheese, so it was a soup after my Wisconsin heart. Then I tried my mother in law’s new recipe. It was delish. So of course, I was inspired to reevaluate my own recipe and developed this beauty. My favorite part? The number of ingredients is low and it comes together so quickly! Give it a try on a cold dreary day when you need a steaming bowl of soup to warm your hands and soul.

Your ingredients

  • 4 cups of diced potatoes (You can peel them if you prefer. I like to leave the peels on. You do you!)
  • 2/3 cup diced celery
  • 2/3 cup diced onion
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (my favorite is kosher salt)
  • 3 cups chicken broth (I always make use Orrington Farm’s chicken broth base)
  • 2 cups milk (I used 1%)
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup diced, cooked ham

Your Steps

In a large kettle (I LOVE my cast iron dutch oven), combine the potatoes, celery, onion, garlic, pepper, salt, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then low to a simmer for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Remove from heat.

Carefully pour vegetables and stock into a heat safe bowl and set aside. Keeping the kettle heated over medium heat, add the butter and stir until fully melted. Stir in the flour and continue to stir/whisk until a golden brown color is created, about 3 minutes. SLOWLY (I am not good at this part…I am so impatient), stir in the milk, adding 1/3-1/2 cup at a time. Heat and stir until it thickens. Be patient if you can, it will be worth it. Once all milk has been incorporated, slowly reincorporate the chicken stock and vegetables. Add in ham and continue to cook over a medium heat until the ham is heated through. Taste test, and add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve this ham and potato soup up with a nice side salad and a piece of crusty bread. Yum.

My husband is still in love with the cheesy potato soup, so he likes to stir in a few tablespoons of cheese (Okay, again, Wisconsin. Let’s be real, it’s more like 1/3 cup. We love our cheese.). It makes a great add in, but this soup eats great without it too! Give it a try! Cheers to your time in the kitchen–Jess

I can’t help but always share a picture of the cut up vegetables
Diced ham. Check out the color contrast!
Simmer away as my rooster keeps watch.
Create a perfect roux of flour and butter.
SLOWLY incorporate the milk.
Ham and Potato Soup
Perfection. Ready to warm my soul and my belly.

Looking for more dinner recipes? Check out my cooking page below:

Cooking

Creamy Ham and Potato Soup

Ham and Potato pair nicely in this simple, hearty soup.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course dinner, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups of diced potatoes
  • 2/3 cup diced celery
  • 2/3 cup diced onion
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup diced cooked ham

Instructions
 

  • In a large kettle, combine the potatoes, celery, onion, garlic, pepper, salt, and chicken broth.
  • Bring to a boil and then low to a simmer for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Remove from heat.
  • Carefully pour vegetables and stock into a heat safe bowl and set aside.
  • Keeping the kettle heated over medium heat, add the butter and stir until fully melted.
  • Stir in the flour and continue to stir/whisk until a golden brown color is created, about 3 minutes.
  • Slowly stir in the milk, adding 1/3-1/2 cup at a time. Heat and stir until it thickens.
  • Once all milk has been incorporated, slowly reincorporate the chicken stock and vegetables.
  • Add in ham and continue to cook over a medium heat until the ham is heated through.
  • Taste test, and add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Keyword cast iron cooking, comfort food, ham, Ham and Potato Soup, Potatoes, soups and stews
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment