Guest post by Big Apple Curry co-founder Myna who is my sister, lives in Toronto, and works in the non-profit world with a girls and women’s organization 

As much as I enjoy eating out, I try to take my lunch to work as much as possible. I love making a big one-pot meal on Sundays that I can take for lunches all week long. And no, I don’t get tired of eating the same thing everyday — well, not if it’s a great recipe 🙂 This time of year, I’m always inspired by beautiful Fall produce in the market like hearty root vegetables, and eye any recipes that are hearty, comforting and nutritious at the same time. I recently came across a terrific soup online, which is a Forks Over Knives vegan recipe called “Puréed Spicy Sweet Potato with Chickpeas.” I’m not vegan, I eat everything but I try to be healthy, as I said. This soup looked easy, tasty and healthy — plus, I already had all the ingredients at home (always a bonus!). A smooth blend of vegetables, broth and natural nut butter, chickpeas are added at the end for texture. Seasoned with warming spices like cumin seeds, paprika and coriander, along with a good dose of fresh ginger and red chilli pepper, this soup hits the spot on a cool Fall day. Try it out and let me know what you think by posting a comment below!

If you’re looking for different ways to incorporate more Indian flavours into your diet, this recipe is a great choice. It uses most of the spices in my sister Ina’s 5-10-5 Rule – a useful cheat sheet she developed on the key aromatics, ground spices, whole spices, and herbs you need to make authentic Indian dishes at home.

Puréed Spicy Sweet Potato with Chickpeas (Recipe from Forks Over Knives)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon water
• 5 ½ – 6 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups onions, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 3-4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds (not ground cumin)
• 3 – 3 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ¼ – ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 3 cups water
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter (you can use any natural nut butter – I used cashew butter)
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas (if you use canned chick peas, make sure you drain and rinse them first)
• 3-4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional, for serving)

Preparation

1. In a large pot on medium heat, add water, sweet potatoes, onion, celery, garlic, salt, cumin seeds, ground coriander, paprika, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring once or twice.
2. Add stock, water, and 1 tablespoon ginger (reserve remaining 1-2 tablespoons). Stir to combine and increase heat to bring mixture to a boil.
3. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15–18 minutes or longer, until sweet potatoes have completely softened.
4. Stir in remaining ginger (adjusting to taste) and natural nut butter.
5. With a hand blender, puree soup until just smooth. Stir in chickpeas and lime juice, and serve with fresh cilantro.

Recipe from Forks Over Knives