Purple Sweet Potato Cashew Cream Soup

I discovered purple sweet potatoes at Chino Farm in Rancho Santa Fe, California. The purple sweet potatoes are high in antioxidants and are rich in vitamin C and fiber. They are higher in antioxidants than blueberries.

 In San Diego, purple sweet potatoes are in season during the fall and winter months. Look for sweet potatoes that are firm and without discolored areas. The purple sweet potatoes can be stored in a cool, dry, and dark place. This simple recipe features purple sweet potatoes and cashew cream. You will watch the purple color intensify with cooking. Enjoy!

 Ingredients:

Soup

2 T extra virgin olive oil

2 lb. purple sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 T fresh minced ginger

1 C vegetable stock

Salt and pepper to taste

A handful of edible flowers

Cashew Cream

½ C raw, unsalted cashew nuts

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1 T lemon juice

1 garlic clove, peeled

½ tsp salt

 Method:

 Soup

 Preheat oven to 400° F.

In a bowl, toss the purple sweet potatoes with one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Pour onto a rimmed cooking sheet and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. When fork tender, remove from oven and set aside. 

In a hot skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and sauté the onions for five minutes. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for an additional minute.

In a soup pot, combine onions, garlic, ginger, vegetable stock, roasted purple sweet potatoes, and cashew cream (see recipe below). Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Add water or vegetable stock as needed to thin the soup.

Using an immersion blender, puree until the soup is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in a soup bowl. Top the soup with your favorite edible flowers.

Cashew Cream

Place raw cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Let soak for at least two hours. Drain and rinse the cashews.

Using a high-speed mixer, blend cashews, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic clove, and salt until smooth and creamy.

Notes:

In this recipe, I used nasturtium flowers. Pansies, marigolds, squash blossoms, and hibiscus flowers would also be lovely.

You may garnish the soup with cilantro microgreens or thyme microgreens.