Sweet Potato Peanut Chipotle Soup with Wilted Greens

Comforting, and nourishing with a bit of a kick, this Sweet Potato Peanut Chipotle Soup with Wilted Greens comes together fast! Vegan and GF.

These past few weeks has been a roller coaster, y’all. And I have some exciting news to share (if you’ve not heard and are antsy, scroll down. I’ll wait.) and I’ll get to that, but first a few other notes and this soup (!!).

Vanilla And Bean has been up and going for almost two years now. I’ve pretty much stuck to recipes with a few posts in between about travel and the local farms where so much Vanilla And Bean food comes from. My goal has been to make this space welcoming, where people can feel comfortable to share ideas, notes, and love of good food. Thank you for taking time to share, commenting, offering tips and kindness. I appreciate each and every note.

But there are other things on my radar with regards to Vanilla And Bean, things I’m passionate about and want to share, yet have not discussed them too much here, if at all. While these passions are tied to food, the connection may not always be clear. I want to share and emphasize these things but more importantly, I want to make sure what I’m sharing is helpful to you, my readers.

Many of you know how important buying local food is to me through supporting our local farms. And although I’ve discussed this in the past, I want to share more and frequently about the reasons why we’ve got to get behind this if we have the opportunity.

Some of you have checked Local Harvest for your nearest farm fresh produce. If you’ve not had a chance yet, please take a quick look. There may be a farm closer than you think! For a quick read on what a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is, how it works and its advantages, Local Harvest has information here. I’ve written my top 10 reasons here.

Rob and I just purchased our 2016 CSA at a discounted rate because we purchased early. Many farmers offer this, but you’ve gotta get in early! If you’re not sure about this, ask if the farm offers a discount; you may be in that early window. In exchange for our 3/4 share purchase, we’ll get enough locally grown veggies and occasionally eggs each week to cover just about all our needs. I say just about because I make green smoothies almost 7 days a week, so I supplement our share with extra greens from the farm. Our CSA farm also offers U-pick berries, beans, herbs and flowers free of extra charge to their shareholders (kiddos get a kick out of this)! This is a perk your local farm may offer as well. They also hold occasional classes on canning, preserving seeds and other topics of interest.

So here’s what we’re getting: a 3/4 share, enough for a family of 2-3 each week for 22 weeks. We paid right at $18.25 per week. I pick up our haul each week, but some farms offer delivery or pick up at a centralized location. There’s a myth floating around that organic and/or locally grown is not affordable, yet I couldn’t disagree more. More on this later.

Be sure to check into your local farm’s growing practices. Are they certified organic? Many small farms are not, but employ organic growing practices, and do not participate in supporting GMOs, the way our grandmothers and grandfathers (great too) used to do it.

The collard greens from our local farm inspired this Sweet Potato Peanut Chipotle Soup. Just when I think the fields won’t produce anything due to all the rain we’ve had, they prove me wrong every-time. Collard greens are so sweet right now and, like kale, grow sweeter after the cold of Winter has worked it’s magic on them.

A Few Notes: 

Sweet Potato Peanut Chipotle Soup with Wilted Greens work well with other greens like kale, chard and spinach, keeping in mind spinach will cook quicker than collards, kale and chard. And if you’ve not given collards a try lately, I encourage you to give them a go. They’re a powerhouse of nutrients!

For the smoky-spicy chipotle in this soup, take it up or down. I’ve included one chipotle pepper in the recipe and found this to be just right. But if your sensitive to spicy, use only half a pepper just to get a taste without overwhelm. If you like red-hot spicy and want to kick it up, use a pepper and a half to even two peppers! The spicy is up to you.

This recipe comes together fast and in one pot! I served this with brown basmati rice, but it is just as delicious serving it without a grain or a different grain. Be sure to pile the toppings and garnishes on high. They add so much texture and flavor to the soup.

And now, the news…. THE NEWS (!!).

I am honored, and grateful to have been nominated in the 2016 Better Homes and Gardens Food Blog Awards. Somehow, Vanilla And Bean landed in the top 10. I am among skill and talent I never thought I’d have the opportunity to share such a space with and am grateful for just having been nominated.

*Update* Voting has closed for the BHG Food Blog Awards.

Now, go make this soup!  You’re going to love it!

xo …. traci

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Sweet Potato Peanut Chipotle Soup with Wilted Greens

A one pot meal that comes together fast that packs nourishing ingredients, and fabulous texture with a kick. Use whatever greens are in season or at your local farmers market! Amp up the spicy with a bit more chipotle if desired (I desired). Vegan + Gluten Free

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time45 mins

Servings: 4 -5 Servings

Calories: 296kcal

Author: Traci York | Vanilla And Bean

Ingredients

For the Soup:

• 1/4 C Peanuts toasted 40g
• 1 Tbs Coconut Oil virgin cold pressed unrefined
• 1 C Yellow Onion diced (about 1 medium onion) 130g
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 Tbs Fresh Ginger grated* see note
• 1 Tbs + 1 tsp Fresh Garlic grated* see note
• 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
• 3 C Sweet Potato peeled and cut into large 1/4" - 1/2" (6mm-12mm) cubes, 378g
• 4 C Vegetable Stock 932g
• 1 Chipotle Pepper in adobo sauce (+ 1/2 of another pepper for more kick)
• 3 Tbs Natural Peanut Butter
• 1 Can Diced Tomatoes with their juices 411g
• 2 C Collard Greens **see note cut into thin 1/2" ribbons. Reserve a small hand-full for garnish if desired 82g

Serve With:

• Brown Basmati Rice optional
• Toasted Peanuts
• Lime
• Fist full of Cilantro
• Raw Reserved Greens
• Tabasco to amp up the heat optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F (180C) and toast the peanuts for about 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant and golden. Set aside to cool.
• To a large stock-pot add the coconut oil on medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and salt, saute for about 8 minutes or until soft and transparent. Some browning is okay.
• Add ginger, garlic and coriander, stirring for no more than 1 minute to toast. The garlic and ginger will stick a bit. Add the potato and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to low, set a timer for 10 minutes and simmer until the potatoes are just fork tender.
• Scoop two cups of the potato/broth mixture out and pour it into a blender. Add the chipotle pepper. Blend the mixture into a smooth puree. Pour the puree back into the stock-pot. Stir in the peanut butter and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, stirring and mashing the peanut butter so that it incorporates into the soup. Reduce heat to low to simmer. Add the collard greens and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning adjustment.
• Serve right away, with grain of choice (I prefer Brown Basmati Rice, but it's also quite tasty with Quinoa), toasted peanuts, cilantro, and a sprinkle of fresh reserved greens. Refrigerate or freeze in a lidded container.

Notes

*Use a microplane grater to grate the garlic and ginger. Be careful here and keep the root between you and the grater at all times. Watch your fingernails too!

**Use whatever dark leafy green that's in season or at your local farmers market. Kale and spinach will work here too with spinach going in at the very last minute because it will wilt much faster than collards or kale.

Recipe Adapted from Cafe Flora Cookbook

Nutrition is provided as an estimate (per serving) and courtesy. If this information is important to you, please verify it independently.

Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 1542mg | Potassium: 772mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 15863IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 2mg

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