The idea of this recipe always makes me feel warm inside. This staple of root vegetables makes you think about Fall. Well, before we get in to the actually recipe, let’s talk some about the two main ingredients: Kale & Sweet Potatoes!
We all know we should be eating more leafy greens, but no one is getting enough of them. We’ve been blending them, we’ve been trying to eat more salad, and so now I’m suggesting you through them in to your soup. Greens will bring some earthly taste, but for the most part them will take on the taste of the items around them. Kale has benefits that range from – low calories, high in iron, anti-inflammatory food, calcium, and vitamins A, K, and C.
The other staple in this recipe is Sweet Potatoes. This wonderful vegetable is so underrated and under used. Apart from a side at Thanksgiving, many people are not eating them. Sweet potatoes are a root vegetable and that is an important factor. They grow in the soil which allows them absorb all the rich minerals in the soil. When we eat them, we then are transferring those to our bodies. Eating from the earth is crucial. Like kale, sweet potatoes are anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant rich, in addition to being a good source of magnesium (which many of us are deficient in). Now to the recipe!
Ingredients
1 bunch of Kale (Organic and cleaned)
4 Medium Size Sweet Potatoes (Organic and cleaned – leave skin on)
11oz Coconut Milk (I like So Delicious)
1 Purple Onion (yellow/white will work as well I just have a preference for purple onions for color)
2-3 Pieces of Garlic (If you are a garlic lover, you can use more)
32oz Vegetable Broth (I like Pacific Organic Broth – low sodium)
Coconut Oil (organic and unrefined)
To prepare, you will also need either a larger sauce pan or stock pot*, cutting board, and knife.
*Stock pot will work best as you will need the extra space
To get started, dice onions, cut garlic, and cut each sweet potato in to 8-10 cubes. Coat the bottom of your pan with coconut oil. Turn heat to medium and add onions, garlic, and sweet potatoes. Sautee a few minutes and then add vegetable stock.
After about 10-15 minutes, add greens. Before you add the greens, you want to make sure you see a slight boil in the pan. That boil will help cook the sweet potatoes. I add my green in whole as they will wilt down. If you prefer, you can cut or rip them in half to fit your size pot if you are using a saucepan instead of a stock pot.
As the greens wilt and are mixed in, you can wait about another 5-10 minutes and add in the coconut milk. Again here, if you like coconut milk, you can add extra, but between the oil and milk, you will have a nice flavor happening. Reduce the heat to low and cover to allow the soup to cook and come together.
Checking on your soup periodically will of course make sure you do not overcook it. The tell-tell sign that it’s ready will be if the potatoes are soft when touched (use your spoon of course).
When ready to serve this soup you have tons of options. This soup can be served alone in a bowl (1-2 ladles should do for first servings). You can serve this soup over rice, like I do at times, to make it more filling and to stretch it. If you add rice, please use brown rice.
If you would like to prepare this meal, but time is a crunch, you can swap the stock pot for the crock pot. Depending on the size of you crock pot, you may not be able to fit all your ingredients. Make sure you add in all your ingredients with the exception of the coconut milk and broth. Once everything else is in the crock pot, begin to add equal amounts of broth and coconut milk until all items are submerged. Cover and cook over night on medium heat (8hrs). In the crock pot the color will not look as creamy, but will taste just as good.
You may be wondering why salt/pepper were not part of this recipe.Click here to read about cooking without salt, but as a good host to guests or someone cooking for the family, you can always put salt (Himalayan pink) on the table and I recommend crushed red pepper flakes compared to black pepper. Allow those eating to salt/pepper to taste.
For those wondering, this meal is technically paleo, but people do worry about the natural sugars in the sweet potatoes. Eat in moderation if sugar is of a concern to you. Coconut milk is typically coconut and water, therefore falls in the Paleo category.
To check calories in this recipe, I would recommend you go to: My Fitness Pal
This meal is Vegan/Plant-Based friendly.
Enjoy and if you have any questions feel free to comment!
