Vegan Smoky Sweet Potato Soup

Jackie Sobon

Vegan Smoky Sweet Potato Soup

With just the right amount of smokiness, a little sweet and a little savory, and super satiating—this recipe is a cold-weather essential. 

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This savory soup from VegNews food columnist Jackie Sobon’s cookbook Vegan Yack Attack’s Plant-Based Meal Prep is great for storing in the fridge to eat during the week. But it also freezes well so you can always have a heat-and-eat, nutrient-dense meal on hand. 

What you need:

1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1½ cups diced red onion
1¼ cups diced orange bell pepper
1½ pounds sweet potatoes, unpeeled, diced
2 large carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
⅔ cup red quinoa, rinsed
1 cup frozen spinach, broken up into pieces
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup roasted pumpkin seeds
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
5 slices of toasted crusty bread

What you do:

  1. In a large pot over medium heat, warm sunflower oil. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Adjust heat to medium-low and add sweet potatoes, carrots, garlic, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cumin. Cook for 5 more minutes, adding 2 tablespoons water if necessary to prevent sticking. 
  2. Stir in vegetable broth, water, and quinoa. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, adjust heat to bring soup to a simmer, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes longer.
  3. Into a large bowl, transfer half of soup mixture and, using an immersion blender, purée until smooth. Add spinach, stirring to break up any clumps, and salt. Pour puréed soup back into pot and stir to combine. Let cool for 20 minutes, then divide between 5 jars or storage containers. Top each serving with pumpkin seeds and cilantro and store in refrigerator for up to 7 days. Serve with a slice of toasted bread.
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