In the winter, I love to cook soups for a few reasons; it’s cold, I enjoy cooking from scratch, 1 pot dishes are great and comfort food is needed when I’m surviving on minimal sunlight. I wanted to share a variety of soup recipes that are all vegan and very filling! Soups are one of my favorite comfort foods because they are so filling-it’s like giving yourself an internal hug. If you’d like another great soup recipe, check out my favorite sopa ingredients here.

After Thanksgiving, I had a lot of yams leftover. The challenge was making an entire, filling meal, using just a few potatoes. I love butternut squash soup, so I figured making a soup out of sweet potatoes would be about the same. Luckily I had some carrots and green onions on hand that I blended up with lots of spices to create this goodness. I decided on a coconut, curry flavor profile; I love sweet and spicy. I boiled the veggies in coconut milk before I mashed everything up and used an immersion blender to blend it all to the perfect consistency. On top I added a handful of chopped cilantro for an added flavor. Making this from scratch took some time and patience: the ingredients to cooking long enough to be soft enough to blend completely, but also perfecting the blend of spices. This soup is very thick and filling! Phew! I’ve been told my recipe is good enough to try as a pie, that might be coming soon.

Sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber, vitamins a, b,c. This will come in handy during the winter. The boost of vitamin a will help your immune system function at its best. Vitamins a & c are also important to keep you looking your best. Vitamin a helps keep your skin and hair moisturized by producing sebum. While Vitamin c helps the body build and maintain collagen which we all need to help our skin stay youthful.

Loaded Potato Soup

As a vegan, potatoes are literally my favorite food; so versatile, so delicious! Anyway, when picking ingredients for my potato soup, I think about options that are available and the texture that I desire. I used some flour to get the thickness I wanted and let it simmer for a while before enjoying. I opted to try this vegan pepper jack cheese…it was meh. Also, I’ve found coconut milk to do better than nut milk in this recipe.

Potatoes are an excellent source of protein as well as vitamin c and B-6. Potatoes provide fuel via carbs and also vital nutrients like B-6 to help decrease symptoms of depression (I certainly struggle with seasonal depression during this time of year), treats symptoms of PMS, decreases risk of Alzheimer’s disease, reduces the risk heart disease and treats inflammation linked to arthritis.

I thought I had shared this recipe already, but maybe not. The hardest thing about making this soup, is remembering to soak your BEP the night before. I start by cooking the peas, they will take the longest. I add in veggies like bell peppers, carrots and of course tomatoes. A good tomato base is the key to nailing this soup, in my opinion. No one wants a watery, broth. I think it’s obvious that this pairs great with cornbread. I chose to make jalapeno cornbread, but I didn’t want it to be too spicy because I had added some heat to the soup already. I added some brown sugar and prayed for a good balance-it was delicious.

Collard greens are a great choice for their taste, texture and nutrition benefits. Due to their high content of Vitamin K, collards improves calcium absorption, increasing bone health. Collards being a cruciferous vegetable means that it decreases your risk of cancer. Being high in fiber and water helps collards ease through your digestive system. Jalapenos are a spicy way to add in another serving of some natural medicine. Jalapenos are a great source of fiber, vitamin C and B-6. Jalapenos also boost your metabolism, which will help you burn calories and lose weight faster. They also contain capsaicin which is a natural pain reliever, by temporarily blocking pain receptors when applied externally or topically.

December Eats: Soup Edition