Sweet Potato Kale Soup

Can we all agree that soup season is the best season? Even if you don’t love cold weather, you have to admit that soup at least makes it better. But sometimes even when it’s warm out I decide to give into my soup cravings, so don’t let the weather control your life. Soup season can be whenever you want it to be.

The first test of this recipe was about 2 months ago, and my husband and I have enjoyed it many times since then! I’ve fine tuned the recipe as I’ve gone, so now it’s ready to share with the world. You are welcome.

Something about the combination of sweet potato and kale here just really does something for me. This soup is warm and comforting, but also full of tons of good-for-you ingredients! It’s also a great way to use up the kale that might be leftover in your fridge.

Bring on the soup!

Ingredients

• Sweet potato and kale – obviously the focuses of this recipe!
• Onion, garlic, and carrot – some other fun veggies to add flavor and make it interesting. These go fantastic with our sweet potato!
• Great northern beans – beans are full of fiber and nutrients, and are super good for us! These beans pair well with our flavors, and they also make our soup more filling.
• Veggie broth and water – of course we need some liquid for a soup! Any type of veggie broth will work here, use your favorite!
• Thyme and spices – all soups need some fun spices thrown in. We use fresh thyme here but all our other spices are things that you might already have in your pantry!

How to Make Sweet Potato Kale Soup

Soups are some of my favorite recipes, because they typically aren’t super complicated to make! This one is no different. As usual, keep scrolling for the full recipe – but here’s the simplified version so you know what you’re signing up for (spoiler alert: it’s pretty simple)!

1. Saute some onions
2. Add garlic and spices
3. Add veggie broth and some veggies – give it all a stir and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for a bit.
4. Add your beans and some water. Allow to cook a bit longer.
5. Remove the leftover stems from your thyme, add kale, and allow the kale to cook just a couple minutes.
6. Add the last few ingredients, and then adjust seasonings as desired.
7. Get cozy and enjoy your soup!

Tips & Tricks

I typically like to think of my recipes as guides. I give you the recipe for my favorite version, but you’re always more than welcome to change it up a bit! Here are some fun ideas you could play with if you feel so inclined.

• Not feeling kale? Feel free to try another green in this recipe! Just be aware that kale takes longer to cook than most greens – if you’re trying a less-hardy green (such as spinach, for example), you won’t need very long at all for it to cook a bit and become bright green!
• Having trouble finding Great Northern Beans? Substitute with another bean or legume! I can typically find Great Northern Beans in my grocery store, but they are a little more scarce than some other bean options. I’ve also made this recipe with kidney beans and with chickpeas, and they worked great too! If you really want to bulk up this soup, you could even use two cans of beans here if you wanted to.
• No veggie stock on hand? Feel free to make your own with this homemade veggie broth recipe, or check to see if you have bouillon powder in your pantry! I’ve made this a number of times by combining bouillon powder with water and using that as my broth. It’s come out great every time!
• Want to be wild with other veggies? I haven’t tested these ideas, but I think that celery or even some regular potatoes could be delicious in this as well. Experiment to your heart’s content!
• For another cozy soup, be sure to try my Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. Or, if you’re craving more sweet potato goodness, you can give my Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl a try!

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Kale Soup

Recipe by Delaney Romero – Joyful Balance

Servings

4-6

servings

Total time

1

hour 

This soup is cozy, delicious, and has lots of nutrients packed in! If you’re a sweet potato lover, this soup is sure to make it into your regular rotation.

Note: Prep time includes time to chop all veggies.

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, diced (about 2 cups)

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp coriander

• 6 cups veggie broth

• 3 medium or 2 large carrots, diced (about 1 cup)

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)

• 3 sprigs of thyme

• 1 can Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed

• 2 cups water

• 1 bunch (8-12 leaves) of kale, removed from stems and coarsely chopped or torn (about 4 cups)

• 1.5 Tbsp nutritional yeast

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Bring a large pot to medium-high heat. Add your onions and a splash of water to prevent sticking. Saute until they start to become translucent, adding more water to prevent sticking as needed (takes about 3-5 minutes for me).
• Add garlic, paprika, and coriander to the pot. Stir so that the onions are evenly coated and allow to cook for 1-2 more minutes. (Continue to add tiny amounts of water as needed to prevent sticking)
• Add veggie broth, carrots, sweet potato, and thyme sprigs (throw in the full sprigs – the tough stem will be removed later). Give everything a stir and bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, bring down to a simmer on medium-low heat and cover. Let simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. By this point you should be able to somewhat easily pierce the sweet potatoes and carrots with a fork.
• Uncover and add your great northern beans and the water. Allow to cook on medium heat, uncovered, for another 10 minutes.
• Carefully remove the thyme sprigs. By now most of the tiny leaves should have fallen off into your soup and you should just be picking out the leftover thick stems.
• Add kale and allow to cook 2-3 minutes, just so that the kale starts to become a brighter green and starts to soften.
• Add nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
• Serve up and enjoy!

Happy cooking, friends! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your soup-making ways.

Stay joyfully balanced!