NOURISH: Sweet Potato & Rocket Soup

Two things have to happen when you leave your mum’s place with an armful of herbs and green leafies. First of all, pesto beckons. Made it. Ate it. Goneskies.

Also, it seems obvious (haha!) to make a bright-green-monster-looking-soup; particularly as there’s a real chill in the air now for us Aussies.

After I finished drinking my green juice this morning, my lips were literally blue. Blue! So alas, the season of veggie juice is behind us, and if you’ve got a cold constitution like me, you’re now setting your sights on comfort-in-a-bowl. Nutrient dense, yummy, easy-to-make soups for the win!

This soup is gorgeous! The sweetness of the sweet potato cuts through a little of the bitterness of the rocket, but all in all, it’s still a gutsy, robust soup that is beyond ridiculous amaze balls for your heart (green is a heart-opener), it’s an immune booster (wait till you see how much garlic’s in there!) and, it’s also super good for your liver… can I get a ‘hell yes!’ from all my ex-Party Girls?

You’ll need…

1 TBSP coconut oil

1 onion

1 carrot

1 stick celery

8 cloves garlic

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 chilii

2L water

4 cups tightly packed rocket*

1/4 C each of tightly packed*

• oregano
• basil
• parsley

*This is a totally loose guide. Don’t stress about this. Use what you’ve got- spinach, chard, sorrel, cress, sprouts- you name it. It certainly ROCKS with rocket in it though. ;)

Do this…

Add roughly chopped veggies to a pot with coconut oil. Sauté until onions and celery are translucent.

Throw in potatoes and cover with 2L of water. Medium heat. Let this simmer away until the sweet potatoes are soft.

Add your greenery and take the pot of the stove. This is important- you’re not cooking the leaves on the stove- you’re just adding them to the hot soup. That way, the end result will be a vibrant green!

Season well with salt and pepper. This will probably take 2 or 3 TBSP of salt, so make sure you have a beautiful sea salt handy. Don’t be shy with it.

Now, whizz it up! If you’ve got a stick blender, you can do this right in the same spot (it just won’t be quite as creamy compared to blending- but that’s totally okay). If you’re using a high speed blender, you’ll need to blend two batches. Whizz on high for 30 seconds, and you’re done.

Garnish options…

I used pepitas, sunflower seeds, coconut yoghurt and truffle oil.

Some more ideas for you:

• small rocket leaves
• herbs
• goats cheese
• crunchy bread
• knob of butter

I’m imagining those of you who are mumma bears, making this MONSTER SOUP for your little ones. And can I just say- that if you do- I commend you for that! Well done for packing so much green into the mouths of your littlies.

Seriously though guys, this is so nutritionally rich, I hope you make a trip to your farmers markets, and enjoy this beautiful soup on your next rainy day! It makes LOADS- so jar up your extras for fast-soul-food when you’re feeling peckish.

If you’re digging this recipe, share it with your peeps. Please and thank you!