nutritional information

Per 1 1/4-cup serving:

  • Calories: 139
  • Protein: 3 g
  • Total Fat: 8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 16 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 188 mg
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Sugar: 5 g
Vegan Gluten-Free

Nutty Sweet Potato Soup with Harissa and Spinach

Nutty Sweet Potato Soup with Harissa and Spinach

Serves 8

30 minutes or fewer

Harissa is a smoky North African chili paste made from smoked chiles, olive oil, spices, and sometimes tomatoes. Heat and flavor vary from brand to brand. This recipe was made with a French-produced harissa with a mild heat and extra sweetness from tomatoes.
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil
  • 2 medium leeks, white and light green parts thinly sliced (2 cups)
  • 3 Tbs. tomato paste
  • 3 Tbs. creamy peanut butter
  • 1 ½ Tbs. harissa paste
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
  • 1 tsp. ground turmeric
  • ¾ tsp. ground cumin
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick (5 cups)
  • 3 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 3 oz. spinach leaves, thinly sliced (2 packed cups)
  • Lemon wedges, for garnish

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leeks, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, peanut butter, harissa, garlic, turmeric, and cumin; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add sweet potatoes, broth, and 1 1/2 cups water, and simmer over medium-low heat, partially covered, 20 to 25 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender.

2. Blend mixture with immersion blender, adding more water if soup is too thick. Bring soup back to a simmer, and stir in spinach leaves. Serve with lemon wedges.

October 2011 p.53

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comments

Delicious, delicious soup. Slightly sweet, nutty. Not too difficult to make. I doubled the recipe and my boyfriend and I ate this the entire week. I had some pre-cooked chickpeas and would add them in sometimes for extra protein.

Lana - 2013-02-24 03:51:01

What can I substitute for the Harissa as I don't want to buy it just for this recipe. If I do buy it, where can I find it and what else would you use it for?

Lynn Zoske - 2012-12-17 04:18:23

Very good. I used sriracha since I didn't have any harissa. It was a little too spicy but still delicious. Plan to try again using what the recipe calls for.

Judy - 2012-10-27 02:04:32

Where are the nuts? I see some in the photo but not in the recipe except for the creamy peanut butter. Are they pistachios?

Adi Bosworth - 2012-10-26 10:22:36

Great recipe! My Harissa was old & moldy, so I subbed sambal olek & Spanish smoked paprika. I also used heaping teaspoons of turmeric & cumin & was very happy with the results.

S.Milks - 2012-10-25 23:55:15

OMG! I just made this and it's sooo delicious! Perfect balance of sweet and spice and nutty. Definitely one in my repertoire from now on! Thanks!

Maia - 2012-09-21 19:30:40

this sounds delicious

christine - 2012-04-09 20:26:08

This soup was very good, although I should have added some more liquid after blending as it was quite thick. The harissa I used was fairly mild, so I passed around a shaker of Aleppo pepper so everyone at the table could adjust the heat. A little fresh-squeezed lemon added a crisp note to the sweet soup. This will be a repeat recipe for sure!

Ginny H - 2011-12-12 08:04:45

Very tasty soup. I didn't have any sweet potato on hand so I substituted butternut squash. It is a thick soup so I too would thin it out a little with some extra stock or water. Will definitely make again and look forward to trying it with the sweet potato!

Randi W - 2011-12-26 15:29:34