Soup for a Rainy Day!

It looks like today might end up raining – the day started off sunny but is slowly giving way to looming clouds. It’s always a bit disappointing whenever it rains during our already too-short summers but it is a perfect excuse to make some soup. Something about rainy days and soup just makes sense. Here is a recipe that my wife often makes. It’s easy to prepare and yummy to eat!

Spicy Indian Sweet Potato Soup

• 2 Tbs. avocado oil
• 1/4 Tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 Tsp. coriander seeds, crushed
• 1/2 Tsp. yellow mustard seeds
• 1/4 Tsp. turmeric
• 1/4 Cup fresh ginger, peeled and cut into fine strips
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 hot chile, finely chopped
• 5 whole plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 3 1/2 Cups vegetable broth (homemade or store bought, low sodium variety)
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• salt and pepper to taste
• cilantro and lime wedges as garnish

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cumin, coriander, and mustard seeds. Cook until seeds are fragrant and begin to pop, about 30 seconds (keep stirring the seeds often).
2. Add turmeric, ginger, garlic, and chile. Cook until ginger is slightly softened, about 1 minute.
3. Stir in tomatoes, broth, and 1/2 Tsp. salt. Bring to a boil. Add sweet potato and return to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer until sweet potato is tender, about 10 minutes.
5. Serve immediately, with lime wedges and cilantro as garnish.

The toasted turmeric, coriander, and cumin have soothing anti-inflammatory benefits. They also add a lot of flavour so very little salt is needed for taste. Sweet potatoes are packed with antioxidant beta-carotene, which the body converts to retinol or vitamin A. As a result, sweet potatoes are excellent for vision, help prevent some kinds of cancer, and boost immunity. They even deliver folate and vitamins B6, C, and E. Even better, they are low in calories and high in fiber so are great for people watching their weight! Hope you enjoy this soup as much as I do!