African Spiced Yellow Split Pea and Sweet Potato Soup
Author -Yields: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive grapeseed, or safflower oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 poblano or hatch chili peppers chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon grated or minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Harissa powder more to taste--it's spicy, so feel free to add extra if you like heat!
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 lb sweet skinned and roughly chopped garnet yams or sweet potatoes about 3 1/2-4 cups
- 1 1/4 cups yellow split peas picked over to remove any grit
- 6 cups water or low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup soy almond or light coconut milk
- Black pepper
- 1/3 cup chopped green onion tops or cilantro optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and peppers. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions are clear and soft. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring constantly, for another two minutes, until the garlic is quite fragrant. Add a few tablespoons of water as needed, to prevent ingredients from sticking.
- Add the ginger, cumin, harissa, turmeric, salt, sweet potatoes, split peas, and water or broth to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and simmer for another ten minutes, so that the soup thickens up. Turn off the heat, stir in the non-dairy milk, and then season to taste with black pepper. Serve with a garnish of green onions or cilantro.
Notes
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container for up to four days, and will freeze for up to one month.