Loaded potato soup served up with shredded cheese, chives, and bacon is very much a representation of my fused German, Scandinavian, British, and Irish family ancestry. I wanted to make this a new family tradition, with a Japanese spin utilizing purple potatoes, that I could enjoy tummy ache–free. Blending antioxidant-rich purple sweet potatoes with coconut milk makes this soup creamy, rich, and tasty without adding tons of extra fat, sugar, or heavy cream. The roasted salty mushrooms are a perfect replacement for bacon—drizzled with some olive oil, this combination makes for one satisfying soup.

　　

Ingredients

4 cups chopped button mushrooms

　　1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

　　4 tablespoons olive oil

　　Sea salt

　　1 pound purple sweet potatoes (about 4 medium)

　　1/2 sweet onion, chopped

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

　　1/4 teaspoon chili powder

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　2 cups light coconut milk

　　2 cups filtered water

　　1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves, reserve 1 tablespoon total for garnishing all servings

　　Juice of 1 lemon

　　1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

　　Olive oil, to garnish

　　

Ingredient Info

Seek out purple sweet potatoes at your local natural foods store or Asian market, or use regular sweet potatoes.

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line two baking sheets with foil. In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms, vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and 1 tablespoon salt and stir to combine. Spread the mixture evenly on one of the lined baking sheets. Arrange the sweet potatoes on the second baking sheet. Place the mushrooms on the bottom rack and the sweet potatoes on the rack above. Bake the mushrooms for 30 minutes, until firm and dry, not crisp. Bake the sweet potatoes for 45 minutes, or until the natural sugars start to caramelize and they are soft when poked with a knife in the center.

　　

Step 2

In a medium skillet, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the onion, 1 teaspoon salt, the cinnamon, cumin, chili powder, and pepper to taste and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onion is fragrant and translucent.

　　

Step 3

Transfer the onion and baked sweet potatoes to a high-speed blender and add the coconut milk, water, the 1/4 cup thyme, the lemon juice, maple syrup, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until the soup is thick and creamy. Be sure to have the blender lid on securely before blending. (Alternatively, add the remaining ingredients to a soup pot and blend with an immersion blender.) If you find that it’s too thick (not all potatoes will have the same starch content), thin the soup with water. Adjust seasonings to taste.

　　

Step 4

Serve the soup in bowls, topped with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mushrooms, a sprinkling of thyme, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve hot/warm. Store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

　　Nutrition Tip

　　Unlike regular white potatoes, sweet potatoes contain significantly higher amounts of vitamin A, beta-carotene, potassium, and fiber. Beta-carotene and vitamin A, in general, have been shown to be beneficial to eye and cardiovascular health, to protect against certain types of cancer, and to help fight free-radical damage.

　　From Nutrition Stripped: 100 Whole-Food Recipes Made Deliciously Simple © 2013 by McKel Hill. Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.Reprinted with permission by WilliamMorrow Cookbooks, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.