I have been making a version of this soup for years. It started as an African Peanut Soup that I discovered back in my ‘eat less meat’ days, but has evolved over the years, as I started making my own bone broth, and was no longer able to digest or tolerate legumes. It’s great for using whatever seasonal herbs and greens you have coming from the garden, or farmers markets. Serve with gremolata to add a fresh, zesty, herby highlight, and Pumpkin Cornbread with melty butter on it!

Spicy Sweet Potato Soup

MAKES

enough for 4 to 6 as a main meal

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups of greens, bok choy, silverbeet or baby spinach
• 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, or macadamias, chopped roughly
• 2 tablespoons of macadamia or coconut oil
• 2 to 3 chorizo, sliced (about 1cm thick pieces)
• 2 tsp garlic infused olive oil
• 2 tsp roast onion infused olive oil
• 3cm x 3cm piece of ginger root (about 2 tablespoons once finely grated)
• 1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (or 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp chilli powder)
• 2 litres bone broth or stock
• 1 large sweet potato (about 750gm), peeled and chopped into cubes, about 1 to 2 cm
• 1 bottle of home preserved tomato passata, or a 400gm can of Australian tinned tomatoes, chopped
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of fresh green herbs, torn or chopped, to serve, like coriander, basil, flat leaf parsley, or small amount of mint
• 1 to 2 tsp salt to taste
• Extra chopped herbs and a wedge of lime, per serve

OPTIONAL

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup peanut butter

METHOD

1. Rinse, drain and chop your greens. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. If using unroasted nuts, toast the peanuts or macadamias until golden. Set aside, to garnish with.
3. Add the slices of chorizo and fry until starting to become golden brown. Set aside.
4. In the same pot, add the infused oils, and fry the chilli and ginger for about 5 minutes
5. Add the broth/ stock, sweet potato cubes, and tomato passata (or tinned tomatoes and their juice).
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Add the greens and simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes with lid on, until the sweet potatoes are soft when poked with a sharp knife. Stir occasionally.
7. Once the sweet potato is cooked, add the peanut butter (if using) and herbs, carefully stir through the soup, until combined.
8. Add the slices of fried chorizo and heat the soup until chorizo is fully heated again
9. Taste and season with salt, as needed.
10. Garnish each serving with a sprinkle of the toasted nuts, some extra fresh chopped green herbs and a wedge of lime. Or make gremolata whilst the soup is cooking.

NOTES

• If you are a Low FODMAP eater, when eating sweet potato, please be aware than anything more than 1/2 cup is considered higher in FODMAP polyols. Also note that 1/2 cup of butternut pumpkin is higher in FODMAPs. If you want to use pumpkin instead, use Jap pumpkin for a low FODMAP version
• If you do not require a low FODMAP version, you can use 1 medium onion (or ½ a large one), diced, and 2 – 3 cloves garlic, crushed, instead of the infused oils. You can also add a tin of rinsed, drained red kidney beans or other legumes, instead of the chorizo (if you want a meat free version, use vegetable stock too).
• If you are new to a Low FODMAP Way of Eating, check out my Beginner’s guide.