Spicy Sweet Potato soup

Sweet potatoes are plentiful in Ontario now and coming home to a nice hot bowl of soup as the weather gets colder is the perfect treat.  Pull out your slow cooker and let the soup take on a life of its own!
Sweet potatoes are a favorite for children and are loaded with fiber
Did you know :
 " Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes may be one of nature's unsurpassed sources of beta-carotene. Several recent studies have shown the superior ability of sweet potatoes to raise our blood levels of vitamin A. This benefit may be particularly true for children. In several studies from Africa, sweet potatoes were found to contain between 100-1,600 micrograms (RAE) of vitamin A in every 3.5 ounces—enough, on average, to meet 35% of all vitamin A needs, and in many cases enough to meet over 90% of vitamin A needs (from this single food alone)."  - whfoods.org

Ingredients (8-10 servings)

1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger peeled and minced ( about 1 inch thick root)
1 large onion chopped

5 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 heaped teaspoon jeera
1/2 teaspoon hot madras curry powder
1/4 teaspoon chilly powder
4 -5 cups chicken stock ( use vegetable stock for vegetarian/vegan option)
 
1 cup of coconut milk or more to taste
juice of one lime (to taste)

Method

In a microwave safe dish add the onion, garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Stir and cook on high for 2 - 3 minutes until the onions are translucent.

 Put the sweet potato and spices in the slow cooker and stir to mix.

Add the onion mix and stir again.  Lastly add the stock . Give one more stir.

Cover and cook on high for about 3-4 hours in the slow cooker until the sweet potatoes are cooked and soft. 


Let cool and using a hand blender completely blend the potatoes in the slow cooker pot.  You can use a stand-up blender if you prefer, but do it in small batches and make sure the liquid has cooled.

 The mixture should be smooth and a nice orange color .

Now add the coconut milk and the lime juice.   Taste. If it is too spicy hot, add some more coconut milk.  Also if you like it hotter, adjust the seasoning now.

Stir well and cook on high until heated through.  Serve hot.
Sprinkle some chopped coriander on the top, and drizzle some hot sauce for color and more heat (optional).

Nutrition information based on 8 servings ( the fats are all good fats from the olive oil and coconut milk)
Calories: 165.8, Total: fat 6.4g, total carbohydrates: 23.1g (2.9 dietary fiber), protein: 3.4g