Purple sweet potatoes are flavorful, healthy, and very hearty. They are a perfect base ingredient for soups and staple for the winter months. However, their sweetness is distinct from orange sweet potatoes. They remind me of baked goods with cinnamon and sugar added. For this reason, I have found that a spicier, more savory spice blend is needed to pair with it. Otherwise, this soup will taste like dessert, and the tastes will not be balanced. Enter Ras El Hanout. This blend is warm and earthy with cumin, coriander, and paprika, but it still has the cinnamon to pair with the sweet potato. It offsets the sweetness of the root vegetable and allows the soup versatility to be enjoyed any mealtime. This recipe serves two.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. ghee
- 1 tsp. cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds
- 1 thumb ginger, minced
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. Ras El Hanout
- 1 pinch salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1-2 medium purple sweet potatoes, cubed
- Nigella seeds (garnish)
Method
- In a medium pot, add a small amount of water (about 1 cup)
- As you are chopping the sweet potato and beet, place cubes in water to prevent oxidation
- Add oils, ginger, whole spices, and more water to cover vegetables
- Heat pot on stove over medium heat until boiling
- Let mixture boil until potatoes are soft (10-15 minutes)
- Remove pot from heat once potatoes are fork-tender
- Use an immersion blender or place mixture into a blender to blend until smooth
- Garnish with nigella seeds
- Enjoy
Kaitlyn Anne Thomas 