With soup season in full swing, this is my top pick for a cold day. Sweet potato soup is the perfect autumn and winter soup. It’s a rich blend of creamy sweet potatoes, garlic, fresh chilli and chermoula spices. Top it off with chermoula-roasted chickpeas for a delicious and filling meal.
Why include this sweet potato soup in your fertility diet?
Sweet potatoes contain plant nutrients called carotenes (also known as carotenoids). They are present in yellow, orange and leafy green fruits and vegetables and provide the beautiful golden hue (ever notice how leafy greens turn yellow? That’s the beta carotene!).
Did you know that your ovaries also contain carotenes? One study found the presence of up to fourteen different types in ovarian tissue! Carotenes may support ovulation and the second half of your cycle (luteal phase). When you ovulate the follicle collapses and produces progesterone to nourish your womb lining. The collapsed follicle gets its name ‘yellow body’ because it contains carotenes.
That’s not all, carotenes also support male fertility because they are antioxidants and studies have linked beta-carotene with improved sperm concentration. A good reason to get a batch of this cooking pronto!
The best sweet potato soup recipe
How to make sweet potato soup
- Place the sweet potatoes and garlic in a roasting tin, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil, sprinkle with the chermoula spices and toss to coat. Cook for 30 minutes, or until golden and soft, turning once halfway through.
- Prepare the chickpeas. Grease and line a baking tray with plastic-free baking parchment. Place the olive oil, chermoula and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add the chickpeas and toss to coat then spread evenly on the prepared tray. Cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden and crispy, tossing once halfway through. Set aside to crisp up.
- While the sweet potatoes and chickpeas are cooking, heat the remaining coconut oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, half the chilli and salt. Cover and cook over a low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until completely soft. Transfer to a blender with the sweet potato, garlic, vegetable stock and coconut milk and blend until silky smooth.
- That’s it, ready to serve! Divide the soup between serving bowls and top with swirls of coconut yoghurt. Scatter with the chermoula-roasted chickpeas and remaining chopped chilli to serve.
Top tip!
The chickpeas are worth the extra effort for the crunch factor they bring to this silky soup and you can easily get on with preparing them while the sweet potato is roasting. They don’t add any extra time to the recipe. The chermoula spices pair beautifully with sweet potato, bringing a subtle warmth. You can find this online from Steenbergs (this is NOT an affiliate link, I just love this brand!).
Tips for blending
- Make sure your sweet potatoes are fork tender. You don’t want to be blending vegetables that are still stiff. Otherwise, you will be left with a non-silky and slightly chunky soup base.
- Leave the top portion of your blender open for steam to escape. If you keep this opening closed, pressure will build inside your blender and most likely pop the lid open. A messy kitchen is not ideal!
- Do not fill your blender past the maximum fill line. Not only will it not blend as smoothly as you want it to, but you might unexpectedly pop the lid open.
Can you freeze sweet potato soup?
The answer is yes! If you plan to freeze this soup for another rainy day, you can store in an airtight glass locking food container, or silicone soup trays such as Souper Cubes.
If you plan to just save it for later in the week, just pour it into a pot or container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Other sweet potato recipes to try
If you loved this sweet potato soup, I’ve got a few other delicious sweet potato recipes that you will love.
- Sweet potato waffles
- Lemony sweet potato & lentil curry
- Sweet potato wedges
- 7-spice tray bake with chickpeas, aubergine and sweet potato
- Sweet potato curly fries
I hope you enjoy this sweet potato soup recipe. If you make it, let me know how it turned out. I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below, or post in The Fertility Kitchen Community.
Creamy sweet potato soup with chermoula-roasted chickpeas
Ingredients
For the soup
- 900 g (about 4 medium) sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 6 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil melted
- 1 tbsp chermoula spice blend (see notes below)
- 1 large onion peeled and finely sliced
- 2 long red chillies deseeded and finely chopped
- Pinch of Sea salt
- 750 ml vegetable stock
- 250 ml coconut milk
- Coconut yoghurt to serve
For the chickpeas
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp chermoula spice blend
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 400 g chickpeas drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Place the sweet potatoes and garlic in a roasting tin, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil, sprinkle with the chermoula spices and toss to coat. Cook for 30 minutes, or until golden and soft, turning once halfway through.
- To prepare the chickpeas, grease and line a baking tray with plastic-free baking parchment. Place the olive oil, chermoula and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add the chickpeas and toss to coat then spread evenly on the prepared tray. Cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden and crispy, tossing once halfway through. Set aside to crisp up.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining coconut oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, half the chilli and salt. Cover and cook over a low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until completely soft. Transfer to a blender with the sweet potato, garlic, vegetable stock and coconut milk and blend until silky smooth.
- Divide the soup between serving bowls and top with swirls of coconut yoghurt. Scatter with the chermoula roasted chickpeas and remaining chopped chilli to serve.
Notes
- Chermoula is a delicious Moroccan spice blend that melds the earthy tastes of cumin and turmeric with the sweetness of paprika and some classic Mediterranean herbs.
comments +