Sweet Potato Soup is Spooktacular

If you can believe it, we have gone the entire month of October here on Mojo and Moxie without a pumpkin recipe – but we HAD to share our Sweet Potato Soup – because it is SPOOKTACULAR!!

October is all about the pumpkin and here we are NOT posting our pumpkin favs. I’m confident you have survived the month and perhaps tried either Danni or my pumpkin muffins from Insta, so today I am going to push past the pumpkin and highlight the sweet potato. And – just a head’s up…Halloween is tomorrow night. If you are like me, you have your traditions of either baking up a batch of trusty “bat wings,” or ordering pizza. BUT if you are in the mood for a change, this recipe might just do the “trick” on a night full of treats! Another fall gourd, the sweet potato has become the darling of new food trends for quite a while now. Thanks to the sweet potato I can order “fries” and feel the slightest bit less guilty – always a good thing in my books.

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A (that beautiful orange colour in the form of beta-carotene). They are also a fantastic source of vitamin C, and vitamin B6. Additionally, they are also a decent source of potassium, dietary fiber, niacin, vitamin B1 and B2. Remember – we have to eat the rainbow, right?

I have to confess, I don’t often think of soup as a meal. My family on the other hand LOVES when I make soup – and when I DO make it, I often wonder why I don’t make it more! I do have a few go-to soups in my repertoire and while our number one request on Mojo and Moxie is always for additions to “The Athlete Factory” through bars, muffins, and healthy treats, I have to say this soup might take over as your new fav for what to send with your athlete on a long day of training.

This recipe checks all the boxes for your athlete. This soup will fill them up without dragging them down, provides quick energy, and that little bit of sweetness your teen might be craving. It is a great dinner after a workout – and even better when you can fill the thermos with it for lunch the next day. It is SO EASY, perfect on a fall evening and paired with a salad or chunky fresh loaf of bread, the perfect quick meal.

This soup is also dairy-free and can be made vegetarian if you use vegetable stock instead of the chicken stock. I often see the question of coconut milk on various blogs. Does one use coconut milk from a can, or the now readily available coconut beverage? I use this SILK Unsweetened Coconut Beverage as my go to. However, if you are wanting a thicker, richer soup feel free to substitute either cream, or canned coconut milk as an alternative.

As this soup is not protein rich, I like to offer some “mix-ins” to provide a complete nutritional balance.

Pumpkin Seeds – very high in fibre, magnesium (great for helping with leg cramps), and antioxidants. Sprinkle a few salted pumpkin seeds on top of the soup and you season and add nutrients at the same time! My fav brand of pumpkin seeds are Superseedz – they have so many flavours to pick from – the savoury options would be great in this recipe!

Goat’s Feta – I know often people shy away from dairy for various reasons, but Goat’s feta is perfect for adding the protein our teens need and is the easiest on our system to digest. It is also readily available in the grocery store as a crumble. I personally love Noble Meadows Farm brand because it is local to our area but find your fav and try it!

Edamame – my kids love edamame and I love the fact they are a plant based complete protein. I buy the massive frozen box at Costco from Natures Classic

These are easily steamed, tossed in sea salt and sesame oil as a side to the soup, OR if you can also find edamame already shelled. Steam and add to soup for a delicious protein addition.

How you (or your kids) decide to customize your soup is up to you. But honestly, give this soup a try. Even the sweet potato hater in your family will be asking for seconds. If you love a fall soup – you can also try our Butternut Squash and Apple soup HERE

Spooktacular Sweet Potato Soup

Servings: 6-8
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy
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The perfect soup for your budding athlete. Healthy, filling and an awesome quick dinner with leftovers for lunch the next day!

Credit: Sweet Potato Chronicles

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes – peeled, and cut into cubes

4 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1/2 tsp salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots diced

2 onions diced

6 cups of chicken stock, plus more if needed

4 Gala, Fuji or Red Delicious apples – peeled and diced

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger1 cup coconut milk beverage – or if you desire a creamier texture, you can use coconut milk from a can.

Salt to taste.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment.
In a large bowl toss sweet potato with 2 tbsp. of oil and the salt. Pour onto parchment lined baking sheet and roast for about 15 – 20 minutes until sweet potatoes are fork tender.
Meanwhile in a large pot over medium heat, sauté the onions, garlic and carrots in remaining 2 tbsp. of oil. Cook down for about 10 minutes – cooking until onions are translucent and carrots are tender. Stir in the chicken stock, sweet potatoes, apples and spices. Cook for about 15 minutes until the apples are tender.
Remove from heat and using an immersion blender (or a regular blender in smaller batches) puree the soup until smooth. You may add more chicken stock at this time if you are looking for a thinner soup
Return pot to heat and stir in your coconut beverage. Allow to simmer.

Christine’s Real Life Cooking Notes: When I made this soup today for the blog – my daughter felt it was a little too sweet. Actually, that is the polite way of saying she gave me the “this is disgusting” look. I find it so irritating when I have made something a million times and they love it, and then suddenly it is out of favour with their “oh so sensitive” taste buds. However, I saved the day (and the soup). Coincidentally, I was roasting brussels sprouts with pancetta at the same time – so I grabbed a tbsp of the mixture and scattered it into her soup bowl. Now that is an Autumn flavour explosion if I’ve ever seen one. It put a smile on her face and mine. I think my apples were larger than I typically use, and it became just a little too sweet. Just a note that you may want to play with this a tad to get the right sweetness for your family 🙂

I don’t know about you but after this soup – I feel a couple dozen mini chocolate bars are justified?? Enjoy the tricks and treats this Halloween – see you in November!