Elizabeth Halderson
What I love about this soup other than the simple fact that it’s yummy, colorful, and good for you, is that it uses local ingredients that are currently in season (with the exception of the coconut milk.) I personally love anything with sweet potatoes. The kale, sweet potato, and onion are all available at Uncle Don’s Local Market. The olive oil I use comes right from Golden Isles Olive Oil. You can even replace the rice with stone-ground grits from Canewater Farms as a delicious alternative. I believe strongly in eating local and supporting local businesses and local artisans (like me!) whenever possible, so making this soup accomplishes that and eating healthy too. If you serve it up in a locally-made bowl decorated with our beautiful coastal wildlife, all the better! And if you’d like such a bowl, Pottery by Elizabeth is also available at Uncle Don's Local Market and has several designs from which to choose. I’d love to help you select one to fill with things that nourish your body and spirit.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced thin, seeds & ribs removed (or 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes)
¾ lb. (about 1 qt.) kale, stems removed, leaves washed and shredded
1 ½ lbs. (about 3 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into ¾ inch cubes
1 ½ qts. vegetable broth (store-bought or homemade)
1 ½ tsp. sea salt
1 c. unsweetened coconut milk (optional)
1 c. Carolina Gold rice (jasmine rice works well too)
Preparation:
In large saucepan, heat oil over moderately low heat. Add onion, cook until translucent (about 5 min.), stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic, jalapeno, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, less than a minute. Stir in kale, sweet potatoes, broth, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes). Add coconut milk and just heat through. Meanwhile, bring medium pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in rice and boil until just done, 10-12 minutes. Drain. Put a mound of rice in center of each bowl, ladle soup around the rice, and serve.
TIDBIT:
I Yam What I Yam
But what if you’re a sweet potato?! Apparently, if you’re buying your yams at the grocery store, that’s a good chance that’s true! Mary-Frances Heck, author of Sweet Potatoes, shares this surprising fact: “Most of the so-called yams you see in American grocery stores are actually orange-fleshed sweet potatoes.” She says the reason for the name mix-up is because Louisiana sweet potato growers marketed their orange-fleshed variety as “yams” to distinguish from other states’ produce in the 1930s –and that appellation stuck. Real yams are entirely different root vegetables, with bumpy, tough brown skin, and a texture and flavor more like yucca, with starchy, not sweet flesh. Who knew?!
