Spicy Sweet Potato and Tatsoi Soup with Chickpeas

Your area of the world may be all sunshine and crisp blue skies at this point in the fall, but for me here in Nashville, it means the arrival of soup weather.

If you’re craving a comforting bowlful of something piping hot and delicious that’s good for you too, this is the recipe for you.

This version of a tasty vegetable soup came out of sheer necessity, when a withering bunch of tatsoi (from our final CSA box of the year!) was calling my name.

If you haven’t tried tatsoi before, it’s an Asian leafy green with a deep color, and it’s packed with nutrients.

If you can’t find tatsoi at the grocery store or your local farmers market, it could easily be swapped out for bok choy, or even chard, collards, or spinach.

Heady with spice and chock full of sweet potatoes, this comforting soup is perfect for these cool autumn nights.

It also contains plenty of protein, thanks to the healthy and fiber-rich chickpeas.

For a vegetarian version, simply use store bought or homemade vegetable stock in place of chicken. And if you aren’t big on spicy food, feel free to adjust the curry paste, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and Thai chili quantities to your liking.

Spicy Sweet Potato and Tatsoi Soup

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★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Meghan Yager
• Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

Sweet potato and tatsoi soup is one of the best recipes to warm up with on a chilly night. It’s easy to make, with a complex flavor and plenty of veggies.

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Ingredients

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• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound onions, diced (about 2 medium)
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1 pound sweet potato, diced (leave skin on, about 1 large)
• 2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste
• 4 cups low-sodium or homemade chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder spice blend, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 15-oz can low sodium chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/4–1/2 pound tatsoi, washed, patted dry, roughly chopped or torn
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 small red Thai chili, sliced with seeds removed (optional)

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Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, add onions, and saute on low heat until tender and slightly caramelized, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Increase heat to medium, add garlic and celery, and saute another 5 minutes, or until tender and fragrant.
3. Add sweet potato and red Thai curry paste. Stir until the vegetables are coated and the mixture is fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Add broth, salt, chili powder, and cayenne. Stir to combine, and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are fork tender.
6. Add chickpeas and tatsoi. Simmer for another 5 minutes, or until tatsoi is wilted. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Taste and season with additional salt, chili powder, and/or cayenne as desired.
7. Garnish with a few slices of red Thai chili and enjoy with a slice of crusty bread.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Soup
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Vegetables

Keywords: soup, sweet potato, tatsoi, chickpeas, garbanzo beans

Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep and Measure Ingredients

Wash all of the vegetables and scrub the sweet potato well.

With a sharp knife and sturdy cutting board, chop the onion, celery, and sweet potato. I like to keep the peels on my sweet potato for the extra nutrition that they can bring, but you could peel them if you like.

Chop or tear the tatsoi into bite-sized pieces.

Mince the garlic.

Measure out all of the remaining ingredients as listed on the ingredients list.

Step 2 – Saute Vegetables

Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat.

Reduce the heat to low, add the onions, and saute on low heat until they’re tender and slightly caramelized.

This will take about 10-15 minutes. Stir the onions frequently for optimal caramelization.

Increase the heat to medium, and add the garlic and celery. Saute for another 5 minutes, or until tender and fragrant. Adjust heat as needed – you don’t want the garlic to burn.

Step 3 – Simmer

Add the sweet potato and red Thai curry paste. Stir frequently, until the vegetables are coated in the curry paste and the mixture is fragrant, for about 3-5 minutes.

Add the broth and spices, stir to combine, and bring to a boil.

If you’re not a big fan of spicy food, feel free to add the chili powder and cayenne gradually, or omit them altogether.

It’s easier to add just a bit, taste, and then add more than it is to reduce the heat level of your cooking if you’ve already thrown it all in at once!

Let simmer for 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender. Go read a book, enjoy a glass of wine, or get some dishes done!

If you want to save some cooking time, you can also cook the cubed sweet potatoes in your electric pressure cooker before adding to the finished soup. They only take a few minutes to get perfectly tender!

Step 4 – Garnish and Serve

Add the chickpeas and tatsoi, and allow the soup to simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the tatsoi is wilted.

Season with freshly ground black pepper and extra salt, chili powder, and/or cayenne to taste.

Garnish with a couple slices of red Thai chili if you like, and enjoy with a slice of crusty bread.

Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3-5 days. This soup also freezes well.

About Shanna Mallon

Shanna Mallon is a freelance writer who holds an MA in writing from DePaul University. Her work has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The Kitchn, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, Houzz.com, Foodista, Entrepreneur, and Ragan PR. In 2014, she co-authored The Einkorn Cookbook with her husband, Tim. Today, you can find her digging into food topics and celebrating the everyday grace of eating on her blog, Go Eat Your Bread with Joy. Shanna lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with Tim and their two small kids.

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