Vegan Carrot, Ginger and Sweet Potato Soup
If you visit India, one of the things that is sure to catch your eye, is signage emblazoned on restaurants advertising pure veg.
That's India. Where a large percentage of households are purely vegetarian and therefore, choose their dining options judiciously. Indian vegetarians take their meals very seriously. A pure vegetarian would never even consider eating a vegetarian meal if the vessel used to prepare the food had previously been used to cook a non-veg dish. Sure, it's a vegetarian meal. But not a pure one.
Our South Indian household, on the other hand is purely non-veg. Does that make us impurely non-vegetarian? Who knows. But when I hear that a vegetarian, or worse a vegan, is coming home for dinner, a small rush of panic floods my body as I wonder what to cook that would be acceptable to them.
Turns out preparing a one-dish vegan wonder isn't as terrifying as I thought it would be. For this recipe, I just used what I had at hand to make this Carrot, Ginger and Sweet Potato Soup. To make it a vegan version, I substituted chicken stock with vegetable stock and cream with coconut milk.
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| I drizzle the creamy soup with coconut milk and sprinkle with walnuts and sesame seeds for texture. |
All it really is, is sweet potato, carrot and ginger cooked in a vegetable broth with a lentil of my choice, then pureed into a thick creamy soup that's full of flavour and nutrients. Topped off with a drizzle of coconut milk and a sprinkling of walnuts and sesame seeds for an Asian touch and a bit of texture, it's best eaten with thick chunks of bread and butter.
My vegan wonder was relished with delight. My guests even asked for my recipe, which I provided with a public display of pleasure and a secret sigh of relief that they didn't ask me if the vessel I had used to cook my soup in had been a purely veg one.
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| My Vegan Carrot, Ginger and Sweet Potato Soup |
Vegan Carrot, Ginger and Sweet Potato Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
☐ 2 large unpeeled carrots, cubed
☐ 1 inch piece of ginger, minced
☐ 1/2 onion, sliced
☐ 1/2 teaspoon of pepper corns
☐ 1/4 cup, dry lentils of you choice
☐ 1 box of vegetable stock
☐ 3-4 tablespoons coconut milk for drizzling on top
☐ Sesame seeds for garnish
☐ Walnuts for garnish
Step by Step Instructions:
Step 1: Pressure Cook Vegetables and Lentils
In a pressure cooker, put the chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, ginger, pepper corns and dry lentils. Cover with chicken stock and pressure cook for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Puree
Once the mixture is cool, puree in batches in a blender, along with the remaining stock to form a silky, smooth, nutritious soup.
Step 3: Garnish and Serve
Serve with a drizzle of cream, top with walnuts, sesame seeds, croutons or crusty bread.
Check out My Cookbook Index for other goodies to feast over.