Instant Pot Spicy Ginger Sweet Potato Soup

Spicy Ginger Sweet Potato Soup
Spicy Ginger Sweet Potato Soup

Pairs well with grey days, warm slices of sourdough toast, and your favorite mug. We’re talking about this Spicy Ginger Sweet Potato Soup.

Often times, sweet potato soups (and for that matter, pumpkin and butternut squash soups) are too sweet for me. This one employs a generous amount of shallots, roasted garlic, fresh ginger, and a dash of cayenne to balance that out. Plus, it’s velvety smooth, thanks to a can of coconut milk.

The result is a soup that is like one big creamy autumn hug. Which, sometimes you just need.

We keep our house at a brisk 62°F during the winter months, and I’ve grown used to living in my slippers and wrapped up in a blanket. (That’s not a complaint, I do like being all bundled up and cozy!) Something warm to sip on or slurp is definitely a bonus on the chilliest days!

Keep things simple, by topping your mug with cilantro and cayenne, or if you’re feeling fancy try crème fraîche (I love a good dollop of crème fraîche, though I’m never quite well enough prepared when the time is right.)

Spicy Ginger Sweet Potato Soup
Spicy Ginger Sweet Potato Soup

Instant Pot Spicy Ginger Sweet Potato Soup

Published November 1, 2018 by

Serves: 6   |    Active Time: 30 minutes



Ingredients:

  • 2-3 shallots, peeled and sliced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 3 pounds sweet potato, washed and peeled
  • 1 15-ounce can coconut milk
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Dash ground cayenne
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Optional, to serve: minced cilantro, additional cayenne, and/or crème fraîche

  • Directions:

    1. Heat coconut oil in the bottom of your Instant Pot on the sauté setting.
    2. Sauté the shallots, ginger, and garlic until fragrant and shallots being to turn translucent.
    3. Roughly chop sweet potatoes and place in pot, along with coconut milk and broth.
    4. Add nutmeg, cayenne, ground black pepper, and salt. Place lid on Instant Pot and set to “Soup” setting, with the timer at 7 minutes and the vent sealed.
    5. After the timer goes off, release the pressure. Using an immersion blender puree soup to desired consistency . You can make it super silky smoothy, or leave a few small chunks if you prefer.
    6. Serve soup hot, topped with cilantro, additional cayenne, and/or crème fraîche as desired.

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    Chopped Kale Salad with Bacon, Dates & Pecans

    Chopped Kale Salad with Bacon, Dates & Kale

    Two co-workers were talking about the best kale salad ever at this fancy restaurant downtown — Oak. They both noted that it was most memorable part of their meal. The salad.

    That conversation got my mind going, and somehow I invented a story in my head about that salad. In my mind, it had pecans, dates, and even bacon. It wasn’t just kale, there were other greens to lighten it up. And the dressing was tangy and sweet but not overpowering. I thought about that salad so much that I went ahead and made it (because why not?).

    Chopped Kale Salad with Bacon, Dates & Kale
    Chopped Kale Salad with Bacon, Dates & Kale

    It wasn’t until I went to write this post that I remembered the original inspiration (Oak’s famous salad), and figured I should probably look up what their kale salad actually contains. Boy was I off the mark!

    Shaved Apple & Kale Salad. Grana Padano, togarashi, candied almonds.

    I guess I have to just go try the original. Until then, I’m going to pretend my own kale salad is just as famous.

    Chopped Kale Salad with Bacon, Dates & Kale

    Chopped Kale Salad with Bacon, Dates & Pecans

    Published October 4, 2018 by

    Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 20 minutes



    Ingredients:


    For the Salad:
  • 4 kale leaves, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • Sprinkle of salt
  • Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup romaine, shredded
  • 1 cup radicchio, shredded
  • 6 medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
  • 4 slices cooked bacon, cooled and chopped in bite sized pieces
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • Directions:

    1. Place kale in a salad bowl. Drizzle lightly with oil and a sprinkle of salt. Using your hands, “massage” the kale, rubbing the leaves with your hands until they are bright green and tender. This will make them easier to eat.
    2. Add shredded romaine and radicchio to the bowl, and toss to combine. Add bacon, dates, and pecans.
    3. Combine first four ingredients for vinaigrette in a small jar and shake to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over salad to your tastes and toss. Serve.

    Chickpea Antipasto Salad

    Chickpea Antipasto Salad

    In the kitchen, there is the sound of a ticking clock. From the open sliding door on my right, the leaves rustling in the breeze. The high today is seventy-one degrees. The last time I could say that was probably early April, and it feels like a treat. 

    We had no idea what to expect when we arrived in McCall. Boise is surrounded by golden dry hills, the city itself an sprawl of big box department stores. But the further north you go the more trees you find, and the grasses begin to turn green. As you coast down the road into McCall's center you spot Lake Payette, like a gem in the rough. 

    Here, I'm going to be soaking up the cooler weather -- currently drinking orange cinnamon tea - but back home, I'm still defaulting to no-cook, no-bake, minimal effort meals, like this Chickpea Antipasto Salad. 

    This dish is a bit like pasta salad, minus the pasta, and all you do is mix. That's right: skip the oven, skip the stove, and even skip dishes -- it's a one-bowl wonder. 

    Antipasto pasta salad is a picnic classic, with olives, artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, and cheese. But I wanted to make a version that didn’t use pasta. Something gluten-free with more nutrients per bite. Chickpeas are the perfect option here — they have a starchy quality that makes them a good filler, though they are also filling, more so than pasta, and in a good way. So there you have it, a way to fill those pasta salad cravings when you don’t want to fill your stomach with pasta.

    You can make this salad ahead of time and chill it. Served over a few fresh lettuce leaves, it makes for a great make-ahead lunch in the middle of summer! Or, put everything in a large serving dish and tote your chickpea antipasto salad along to a potluck.

    Chickpea Antipasto Salad
    Chickpea Antipasto Salad

    Chickpea Antipasto Salad

    Published August 23, 2018 by

    Serves: 4-6   |    Active Time: 10 minutes



    Ingredients:

  • 2 sixteen-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
  • 1/4 cup red onion, minced
  • 1 cup artichoke hearts, quartered and drained
  • 1/2 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained
  • 1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives, pitted and drained
  • 1/3 cup pesto
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup feta crumbles
  • Optional: serve over a bed of butterhead lettuce

  • Directions:

    1. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and stir to combine.
    2. Serve immediately, or make a day ahead of time, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
    3. Optionally, serve over a bed of butterhead lettuce leaves.