There’s something so comforting about warm stew on a cold winter day. And this creamy vegan sweet potato blend, complete with the flavors of ginger, garlic, and onion, totally fits the bill. The creamy texture comes from the cashew butter and the use of an immersion blender.
SERVES 6–8
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, rough chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt to taste
1½ tablespoons minced ginger
Pinch of red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes with their juice
4 cups sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and roughly diced
1 small head cauliflower, roughly chopped
4 cups dinosaur kale, center vein removed, leaves cut into ribbons
¼ cup cashew butter (or almond or sunflower butter)
½ cup cilantro, chopped and loosely packed
Optional garnish:
Up to ½ cup shelled hemp seeds, raw hulled sunfl ower seeds, slivered almonds, chopped cashews Avocado slices
In a large pot over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Sauté the onion and garlic plus a pinch of sea salt for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the minced ginger and red pepper flakes, then add vegetable broth and crushed tomatoes with their juice. Add the sweet potatoes and cauliflower, then increase the heat to high and bring to boil.
Lower the heat back to medium, add ½ teaspoon of salt, and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until the sweet potato is tender. Using an immersion blender, blend about half of the soup, making sure to leave recognizable bits of cauliflower and sweet potato. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, spoon about 4 cups of soup into your blender and pulse 3 or 4 times, then return to the pot.
Stir in the kale and cashew butter and simmer for another 5 minutes, until the kale is wilted. Stir in the cilantro and adjust salt to taste.
Adapted from The Perfect Blend: 100 Blender Recipes to Energize and Revitalize by Tess Masters.
