Many people celebrate those first crisp days of Autumn weather with their favorite pumpkin spice beverage. Not me! I pull out the soup pot as soon as the temperature begins its inevitable “fall.” To me there is nothing cozier or more satisfying than a hearty soup or stew served with a toasty hunk of bread. Soup isn’t just an appetizer! In my home, soup is a one-pot meal that can be filled with vegetables, beans, lentils, mushrooms, grains, and fresh herbs or spices. There is no limit to the culinary imagination!
Here at Gravity Hill Farm we have just finished harvesting beautiful orange and purple sweet potatoes to share with our community, but not before us folks on the Nutrition Team snagged some to use in our featured recipe of the season, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup. With smoky notes of cumin, earthiness of black beans, and the contrast of sweet potatoes and pleasantly bitter greens, this soup has it all. For those who prefer a little spice in their lives, adding a little ground cayenne pepper or chipotle powder would be a tasty move. Optional toppings can include sour cream or Greek yogurt, shredded cheddar cheese, fresh squeezed lime, or even toasted pumpkin seeds. Try them all!
This recipe for Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup also serves as a little teaser for Rolling Harvest’s first official cookbook! You can find this recipe and many more in “What’s Cooking?” available through us via email at info@rollingharvest.org. The $25 cost includes shipping, and all proceeds directly support the work we do at Rolling Harvest Food Rescue.
We look forward to sharing many more recipes with you in 2027.
With warmth and gratitude from our kitchen to yours,
Kate, Vicki, and the Nutrition Team
SWEET POTATO AND BLACK BEAN SOUP
Serves 6-8 Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 45-60 min Total Time: 1 hr 15 min
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoons ground chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 (14 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained (low sodium)
- 1 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes (low sodium)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4 to 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth (low sodium)
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- ½ cup corn kernels (optional)
- 3 cups greens kale, spinach, collards (optional)
- garnish with sour cream and/or lime wedge before serving (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat oil in a large soup pot and sauté onion and garlic until soft and caramelized.
- Add remaining ingredients, except beans and optional garnish, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for roughly 30 minutes, until sweet potatoes begin to soften.
- Add black beans and cook another 10 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender and all flavors meld. Garnish, if desired, and enjoy!
NUTRITION: Calories 193; Total Fat 4.5g ; Sat Fat 1g; Sodium 439mg; Carbs 33g; Fiber 8.6g; Total Sugars 6.1g; Added Sugars 0.8g; Protein 6.8g; Calcium 119mg; Iron 3.2mg; Potassium 609mg; Vit K 43% DV; Vit A 161%DV.
