Purple sweet potatoes really are my jam at the moment.. those and the pink skinned white flesh ones. This could just be me being a bit weird and picky, but I generally feel like I can taste the difference between all of the different types? Anyway, not only do they taste great, but I’m a huge advocate of eating the rainbow and incorporating as many different coloured fruits and veggies onto my plate as possible. Different coloured veggies have different nutritional properties, so I always try and make sure that I’m getting a good variety Ito my diet.
This recipe is completely plant based, yet still so creamy! So many shop bought soups contain lots of milk and cream based products, so if you’re looking for a super creamy soup that’s also dairy free, this can be somewhat of a challenge. I don’t tend to do anything fancy to create a similar texture; I usually just use a combination of veggie stock and coconut milk. If you’re after something even creamier, then you could always swap this for canned coconut milk, coconut butter, cashews or coconut cream. So many possibilities!
There’s also another secret surprise ingredient in there which you probably wouldn’t ever guess.. If you hadn’t read the title that is! I’ve been recently working with the amazing Hifas Da Terra who make an array of incredible superfood mushroom products and in this recipe, I’ve used their Cordyceps Vital Powder which you can shop here. On their site it says that this is great to supplement for energy and vitality.. and energy is definitely something that I’m lacking at this current moment in time!
I know it probably sounds a little bit strange adding mushroom powders into recipes, but you honestly can’t taste it here and it’s such an easy way to incorporate them into your everyday routine, without event noticing!
Oh.. I should also mention one of the stars of this recipe; the crispy chickpeas! Seriously guys, if you haven’t yet tried using chickpeas to make soup croutons, then you’re 100% missing out! You can either make these by roasting them in the oven or I tend to cook them in the pan (for ease and speed) and you can flavour them with pretty much whatever you like. For these ones I’ve kept things super super simple, with a combination of turmeric and salt, but paprika, chilli and cumin are all really delicious as well!
Purple Sweet Potato & Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup purple potato
- 1 red onion
- 1 cup milk
- 400 ml stock
- 2 cloves garlic
- Tbsp Cordyceps Vital powder
- Olive oil for cooking
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 can chickpeas
- Pinch sea salt and pepper
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
Instructions
- To make the chickpeas, drain and rise the chickpeas, then pay dry with some kitchen towel.
- Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the chickpeas and spices, so that they’re golden and crisp.
- Chop the sweet potato then pop this into a steamer and cook until soft enough to pierce with a fork. Alternatively, you could roast these in the oven if you would prefer.
- Dice the onion and add this to a frying pan with a little olive oil and sauté over a medium heat until soft and translucent, then crush in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- In a blender, combine the potato, onion, garlic, stock, milk and mushroom powder, then blend until smooth and creamy.
- Season to taste with black pepper and heat gently before serving. Top with some of the chickpeas and a fresh herbs.
