Recipe: Sweet Potato Soup

I won't lie, I don't usually get excited about soup...

but this soup impresses me.

We are all trying to eat healthier in our house. New year, new start... yada yada yada.

I worked all day (hooray for retail!) but I got to come home on my lunch break and eat some delicious soup that Sharon made.

Delicious does not explain it.

This soup smells amazing. 

You eat it and experience smooth-creamy-cinnamon-nutmeg-sweet potato goodness. For garnish, chopped fresh cranberries, fresh sage and pine nuts.

The flavor combination is completely comforting and surprising at the same time.


You get that perfectly warmed from the inside out feeling when eating it, and you can feel the nourishment entering your body. You know, the feeling when you are eating something so yummy yet so nutritious that you can enjoy everything about it?


So often it seems we feel we must choose between 
It's such a pleasure to eat, but I feel guilty now
OR 
It's kinda painful to eat, but I know it's good for me


I think I will start a collection of these "enjoy everything about it" recipes.
I want to have the best of both worlds.


Sharon got this recipe from the "Change your Brain, Change your Body Cookbook"  By Tana Amen and Daniel Amen. 


This soup includes lots of nutrient-dense, brain boosting foods and spices. According to Sharon, it's really easy to make, the part that takes the most time is chopping up all the vegetables.


Ingredients:
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/3 cup celery, diced
3 tablespoons leeks, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
6-7 cups vegetable stock
1.5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon real salt (Sharon just used sea salt)
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (Sharon substituted pine nuts - yum!)
1/8 cup fresh cranberries


Preparation:
1. heat 1/4 vegetable broth in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onions, celery, and leeks for 2 minutes. Then add garlic, saute for one more minute.
2. Add 4 cups of remaining vegetable broth, sweet potatoes, cinnamon stick, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer about 10 minutes until potatoes are tender.
3. Remove cinnamon stick.
4. Use immersion blender or pour contents into a blender in batches. Blend until smooth.
5. If using blender, pour soup back into pot. Add almond milk. Then slowly add remaining broth to desired consistency. 
6. Add salt and pepper.
7. Dish soup into bowls and garnish with sunflower seeds, sage, and cranberries.
- Tana's Smooth Sweet Potato Soup, from Change your Brain, Change your Body Cookbook by Tana Amen, B.S.N. and Daniel G. Amen, M.D.




Let me know if you try this recipe.
What other great soup recipes are hiding out there? 
Send them my way!


Chi Mangia Bene, Vive Bene


Sarah