For me, the color of October will always be orange. It must have something to do with all the years spent watching "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown," or growing up on the east coast watching the leaves turn flamboyant shades of orange. October not only looks orange, it smells orange. It's the smell of roasted sweet potatoes and squash. Right now, I'm preparing soup for 80 using sweet potatoes. For years, body-builders, who strictly eat to repair muscles after workouts, have feasted daily on sweet potatoes because of the yam’s outstanding nutritional content, ease of digestion, and pleasant flavor. Chock full of beta-carotene, Vitamin A, and other body boosters, sweet potatoes are also extremely anti-inflammatory, which may protect against cancer growth. Of course, as a cook, I like sweet potatoes because they make a wonderful creamy canvass for a soup that’s been warmed up with spices including cinnamon and ginger.

Spiced Sweet Potato Soup

Serves 6

3 sweet potatoes (1 pound each), peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes

2 tablespoons unrefined virgin coconut oil, melted, or olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon allspice

⅛ teaspoon cardamom

⅛ teaspoon nutmeg

6 to 8 cups Magic Mineral Broth, or a good quality store bought vegetable stock

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the cubed potatoes in a large mixing bowl and toss with the coconut oil until potatoes are coated. In a small bowl combine ¼ teaspoon salt, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, and nutmeg and mix until incorporated. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the potatoes and toss again, making sure they are evenly covered with spices.

Place the spiced potatoes in one layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or in a glass baking dish. Move to the oven and roast for 40 minutes, or until tender. Fill a blender with ⅓ cup Magic Mineral Broth and one-third of the roasted potatoes. Blend until smooth, adding more liquid as needed. Transfer to a soup pot. Repeat process several times with remainder of potatoes and broth. Add the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt and stir. Keep warm on a burner set over low-heat. Ladle into soup bowls or a favorite soup mug.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 55 minutes

Storage: Store refrigerated in a covered contained for 5 to 7 days. Soup can also be frozen for up to 2 months

Per Serving: Calories: 280; Total Fat: 4.8 g ( 4g saturated, 0.3 g monounsaturated); Carbohydrates: 57 g; Protein, 5 g; Fiber 9g; Sodium: 465 mg.

Cook Note:

These roasted spiced potatoes are fantastic on their own. Think about making half of a recipe of soup and save the remaining roasted sweet potatoes for a delicious side dish or quick and easy snack.

Culinary RX:

Sweet Potatoes and Yams: Those beautiful orange-yellows of yams and sweet potatoes are the tip-off that these vegetables are loaded with cancer-fighting beta-carotene and vitamin C.

Labels: Culinary RX