Dishes made with sweet potatoes tend to enhance their inherent sweetness using maple syrup, agave, or other spices. That is not the case for this recipe. We are going in the complete opposite direction and presenting you with a lovely, spiced soup. Because sweet potatoes are, well, sweet, they lend themselves to aromatic, Moroccan spices, such as coriander, cumin, cinnamon, caraway, turmeric, and paprika. So a spiced soup like this one is what we made!
Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber, making them filling options for people who do not eat meat. They are also rich sources of beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body. Sweet potatoes also contain good amounts of vitamin C, potassium, B-vitamins, and several minerals. They are not, however, rich in protein, which is why we included chickpeas in this recipe. Not only are chickpeas rich in protein, but they also contain a lot of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Due to their neutral flavor, chickpeas take on a variety of flavors and don’t impose their own mild flavor on anything.
If you want to cook this soup, your spice cabinet needs to be ready. Make sure to clearly check the ingredient list because, like most Moroccan recipes, this one contains a long list of spices. They all come together to create incredible depth of flavor, and the burst of lemon that you add at the very end livens up everything. Garnish with fresh parsley, sea salt and pepper, and even some crispy chickpeas if you want to go the extra mile.
- Prep Time:15m
- Cook Time:1h
- Total Time:1h 15m
- Serves: 6 servings
- Category: Soups & Stews, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. coriander
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp. ground caraway seed
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 6 c low-sodium vegetable stock
- 1 (14 oz) can chickpeas, drained
- 1 lemon, juiced
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
- chopped parsley (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400º F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scrub the sweet potatoes and then poke them several times with a fork. Place the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet and bake for an hour, or until tender.
- In a large stockpot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally for about five minutes.
- Add the cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, pepper flakes, caraway, and cinnamon, stir well, and cook until fragrant.
- Pour the vegetable stock, chickpeas, and lemon juice into the pot and bring to a boil. Once the liquid is boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh and add it to the stockpot.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the soup right in the pot. You can also transfer to a blender in batches and blend until smooth.
- Serve hot with lemon wedges, sea salt, and pepper, and garnish with fresh parsley.
