A velvety sweet potato soup is flavored with cumin seed, mustard seed, ginger, and garlic. Each serving is topped with a toasted cashew herb sprinkle for a bit of contrast. Serve this vegan and gluten free soup alongside rice or your favorite bread!
It’s officially autumn, which means it’s vata season in the Ayurvedic system. The vata dosha is represented by the elements of air and ether. These elements are characterized by erratic movement (think of the prevalence of winds blowing in this time of year), lightness, dryness (like the crunching of dead leaves underfoot), and crisp coolness. It is common this time of year to experience a lack of mental focus and feel a certain sense of being un-grounded.
So what’s the remedy? Get earthy. Put your bare feet on the earth. Treat yourself to a clay mask. Eat roots that are surrounded by the earth as they grow such as carrots, beets, turnips, and sweet potatoes. Be slow and deliberate. Rest. And maybe, if you’re feeling up for it, make this sweet potato soup.
Originally I intended for this to be a curried sweet potato soup but opted for whole cumin seed and mustard seed at the last minute because I like that combo. I served my soup with brown rice cooked with kombu and a bay leaf but you could opt for a hearty slice of your favorite bread or maybe even a grilled cheese. Do what feels most nourishing for yourself!
Grounding Sweet Potato Soup with Toasted Cashew Herb Sprinkle
- Total Time: 30-35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A velvety sweet potato soup is flavored with cumin seed, mustard seed, ginger, and garlic. Each serving is topped with a toasted cashew herb sprinkle for a bit of contrast. Serve this vegan and gluten free soup alongside rice or your favorite bread!
Ingredients
for the toasted cashew herb sprinkle:
- 1/2 cup whole raw cashews
- 1 small bunch of flat leaf parsley
- the zest of 1 meyer lemon (a regular lemon works just as well!)
- sea salt, to taste
for the soup:
- 1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 1 tbsp minced fresh garlic (about 2–3 cloves)
- 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger root
- 1/2 tsp whole cumin seed
- 1 tsp whole mustard seed
- sea salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 quart of vegetable broth
- 2 large sweet potatoes, diced into roughly 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- 2–3 tbsp maple syrup (this depends on the sweetness of the potatoes and your individual preference!)
- bread or rice for serving, optional
Instructions
Make the toasted cashew herb sprinkle first. Toast your cashews until they are deeply golden. Once they’ve cooled, blitz them in a blender or food processor until they are finely chopped. Add them to a small bowl along with the zest of the lemon and a small pinch of sea salt. Finely mince the leaves of your bunch of flat leaf parsley, then add them to the bowl as well. Mix, then taste and add more salt if needed. Set this aside while you make your soup.
Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and let it come to temperature, then add the diced shallots. Cook the shallots, stirring every 30-60 seconds, until they are just starting to turn golden. Stir in the minced garlic, minced ginger root, cumin seed, and mustard seed then season with salt and pepper. Cook the spices, stirring every 30 seconds, until they are very fragrant. This will take 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the diced sweet potatoes, season again with salt and pepper, then add the veggie broth. Once the broth comes to a simmer, allow the soup to cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the coconut cream and maple syrup. Blend with an immersion blender until the soup is smooth and creamy. Taste and add salt/pepper as needed. Serve topped with the toasted cashew herb sprinkle.
Notes
- I served my soup alongside some brown rice cooked with kombu and bay but feel free to pair it with whatever you prefer!
- I used a meyer lemon in the herb sprinkle because I love the flavor but a standard lemon will work just as well.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
- Category: soup
