It’s soup season, and there are more reasons to love the dish than its heart-warming and delicious qualities. For instance, soups are relatively inexpensive to make, as the recipes usually incorporate ingredients you already own. (Bonus: You’re clearing out your fridge and pantry.) They’re also great to prepare ahead of time, and leftovers are easy to freeze and store. And if you’re trying to get the kids to eat their veggies and other healthful ingredients, soup is a perfect way to sneak some of them into bellies.
Sure, you can go with tried-and-true varieties like split pea, chicken noodle and minestrone, but why not add a different flavor to your at-home menu? This recipe for Caribbean sweet potato soup from Let’s Go Nuts (Prestel, 2022) by nutritionist and vegan café owner Estella Schweizer is a delicious and nutritious must-try for your family and friends.
Caribbean Sweet Potato Soup
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients:
For the soup
- 1 piece ginger, roughly 1 ½ inches
- 1 piece turmeric, roughly 1 ½ inches
- 7 oz. parsnip
- 1¼ lbs. sweet potato
- 7 oz. mango (or 3 oz. dried mango, soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes)
- 2 Tbs. coconut oil
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. curry powder
- salt
- 2–4 Tbs. rice vinegar (or another pale vinegar)
- ground pepper, freshly ground
For the topping
- 1–2 passion fruit (or a couple cubes of mango)
- 1 handful fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 fresh chile
- 3½ oz. banana chips
- 3½ oz. salted roasted peanuts
Directions
Finely chop the ginger and turmeric for the soup. Peel and dice the parsnip and sweet potato. Peel and dice the flesh of the mango.
Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan. Sauté the chopped ginger and turmeric briefly over moderate heat, then add the parsnip and sweet potato and sprinkle with cumin and curry powder. Continue frying for about 3 minutes, then add the mango and 3 cups of water. Add a bit of salt and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 25 minutes until tender.
Meanwhile, for the topping, slice the passion fruit in half and scoop out the contents. Roughly chop the cilantro, slice the chile diagonally into thin rings, removing the seeds if preferred. Purée the soup until smooth, then season with rice vinegar, salt and pepper. Divide between deep bowls and garnish with the chile, banana chips, peanuts, cilantro and passion fruit.
All photos and recipe are reprinted with permission from Let’s Go Nuts by Estella Schweizer, Prestel, 2022. Photography by Winfried Heinze.