Curried sweet potato soup

I've been making a lot of soup lately, since the weather has finally cooled down. I make soups all year long, but there's something comforting about eating soup in the fall. I think its the warming spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, curry, ginger, cumin and cayenne.

Do you share my love for soup? If so, what's your favorite? The Kitchn just posted 25 soup recipes if you need some inspiration.

This is a simple soup and you probably already have most of the ingredients at home. If you don't have sweet potatoes, you can use carrots instead. But to make it creamy without adding dairy, add a tablespoon of oats, Arborio rice or potatoes when you add the stock. After you blend the soup, you'll notice that it has a thicker consistency.

Curried sweet potato soup

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

dash of cayenne

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (2.5-3 cups)

2 small carrots

3.5-4 c veggie stock

1 T lemon juice
1 tsp ginger juice*

sea salt to taste

Add the coconut oil to a pot over medium heat. Add the onions, cover and sweat for about 5 minutes or until they are translucent. Add the garlic, curry, cumin and cayenne. Stir for about a minute. Then add the potatoes and carrots. Let the vegetables sweat for a couple of minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil (make sure the liquid covers the vegetables). When it reaches a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are cooked well. When done, blend with an immersion blender or put into a blender (be careful with hot liquids). Stir in the lemon and ginger juice. Add sea salt to taste. Garnish with a drizzle of lemon-tahini dressing or yogurt, paprika and cilantro.

*To make ginger juice: Cut an inch piece of ginger, peel and grate or mince very finely. Wrap the minced ginger with cheesecloth and squeeze over a small bowl. You should get about a tsp or more of ginger juice. 

Makes 3-4 servings.

Curried lentils with leeks

As you can probably tell I love bean salads. They're so tasty and an easy way to get more vegetables into your diet. This salad is excellent. The addition of late spring vegetables like leeks and scallions with a pungent curry flavor make it irresistible. Feel free to add different vegetables like cooked zucchini, celery or carrot. 

Curried lentils with leeks 

2 cups cooked lentils, or 1 can rinsed

1/2 red onion, diced

small bunch of scallions, chopped

1/2 c cilantro

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 large leek or 3 small leeks, rinsed and chopped*

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp freshly ground cumin

dash of sea salt

juice of one lemon

1 tbsp sesame or olive oil

Cook lentils according to instruction. Rinse and put lentils into a large bowl along with red onion, scallions and cilantro. Heat sesame oil over medium heat. Once warm add the chopped leeks, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and remove from heat when leeks start to brown lightly. While leeks are cooking, make the curry vinaigrette. Mix the curry, cumin, salt, and lemon juice together. Whisk in the sesame (or olive) oil well. Pour dressing over the lentil mixture along with the leeks and garlic. Mix well. Serve warm or chilled. Garnish with goat cheese or a hard-boiled egg.

*Leeks are very sandy, wash very well.

This is a great salad to make dad for Father's Day. Who can say no to hearty lentils? Happy Father's Day weekend!