Moroccan Spiced Sweet Potato Soup

Need a new winter warming soup that has a hint of spice and a truckload of flavour? This is definitely it. Tomato, sweet potato and the tagine spice go together perfectly, while the coconut milk smooths out all the flavours and the quinoa offers a more substantial meal (a great way to use up leftover quinoa!). I vary the different Moroccan spice blends, creating entirely new versions. It’s great to change it up a bit! Simple enough, lots of layers of flavour and generally an all-round impressive soup! 

Ingredients:

(If cooking the quinoa)

• Cup red quinoa (or 1 cup cooked red or white quinoa)
• 200-250ml filtered water
• 4 medium sweet potatoes, roughly diced
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 medium garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons Moroccan tagine spice blend
• 1⁄4-1⁄2 teaspoon hot cayenne pepper, or to taste!
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 litres filtered water
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 200ml coconut cream or coconut milk, plus a little extra, to serve
• 2 tablespoons quality salt
• 1⁄4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, to serve
• Cracked black pepper, to serve

Directions:

• To cook the quinoa, place in a medium saucepan with 200-250ml filtered water, cover and bring to the boil over a medium heat.
• Reduce heat and simmer quinoa, covered, for 10-15 minutes or until water has been absorbed and quinoa is 95% cooked.
• Remove from the heat, leaving the lid on so quinoa keeps cooking.
• Place the sweet potato, onion, garlic, spices and the 2 litres of filtered water in a large saucepan on a medium heat and bring to the boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add the tinned tomatoes and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and blend soup with a stick blender.
• Add the coconut cream and salt, return to the heat and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
• Divide soup into bowls, adding about 1⁄4 cup cooked quinoa to each bowl.
• Drizzle with extra coconut cream, scatter with parsley leaves and sprinkle with cracked pepper... wonderful!

Tip: If using Australian white quinoa, rinse the quinoa to remove the naturally forming saponin (soapy) coating. It’s non-toxic but bitter tasting! Note: When cooking white quinoa, reduce cooking time by 5 minutes.  

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