We are approaching the official end to a summer that has been absolutely lovely. We stayed home, we beached, we relaxed, had full PJ days and I got to experience two wonderful farmer's markets as a sort-of vendor. I'm nearing the end of a hands-on workshop series where my partner and I showed folks how to preserve the summer's bounty through fermentation. It was a blast!

And now, just like that, the kids are back to school, everyone's talking about what they're going to be for Halloween and Thanksgiving plans are underway. How does this time of year always come so fast!

Like clockwork, my cravings start to shift from berry popsicles & fizzy drinks to warming soups, spicy stews and hearty pies filled with sweet potatoes, apples or, of course, pumpkin.

This soup is incredibly satisfying. It's thick, creamy and the flavour runs deep. It lingers on the tongue, starting with a gentle hint of curry & cayenne and finishing with a slight sweet touch of apple. It's very high in fibre and contains a good amount of fat which makes it a filling meal.

I'm starting off with about a tablespoon and a half of curry powder. Curry powder is a mix of several different spices, including the increasingly popular, anti-inflammatory spice turmeric. Many of the spices that make up curry powder offer tremendous health benefits including digestive support, blood sugar control, improved cholesterol levels and immune support. It's a wonderful spice to have in your pantry, and ensuring a quality brand is in your best interest.

To deepen the flavour, lightly toast the curry powder in your saucepan. Just do this dry and toss it around the pan for a few minutes. When the beautiful aroma starts to fill your kitchen, you can go ahead and add some oil. Olive, coconut or avocado will work perfectly. Combine this with the remaining spices; cumin, sage, celery salt, sea salt, and cayenne, and gently heat.

 Roughly chop about 2 medium to large onions and toss them in, stirring to coat.

I'm just going to take a moment to show off our super impressive garlic harvest from the summer.

Smash, peel and very roughly chop one whole bulb (in this case it was about five cloves). Toss them in and stir. The more garlic you eat NOW will help you LATER when cold and flu season arrives. 

At this point, a couple teaspoons of tamari (or coconut aminos) & a hot sauce of your choice are a great addition. Sprinkle them in with your onions and garlic and give it all a good sweat.

Somewhat finely dice two large carrots (mine were organic so I didn't bother to peel them) and one large sweet potato (organic or not, definitely peel). Add those babies to your sweaty onions.

Not pictured is one peeled and diced apple. Do it and toss it in.

Measure one half cup of your favourite type of lentil. 

And stir them in.

Now, this soup is thick. There's only three cups of broth and a bit of full fat coconut milk. Those cans are 160ml each and I'll be using two. If you have a regular sized can of coconut milk, which is usually 400ml, go ahead and use it. It won't make much difference. 

Simmer the veggies in the broth until they are soft, about 20 - 30 minutes.

When they've softened, either puree them down with a submersion blender or pop them into your countertop blender. 

And blend away until smooth.

Stir in the coconut milk and add about half a tablespoon of either apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice.

Gently heat and stir until warmed through and slightly bubbly.

And then eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Creamy Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup

• 1.5 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp groud cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp celery salt
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger 
• 1/2 tsp ground sage
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp olive, avocado or coconut oil
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 tsp tamari
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 medium apple, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup dry green or black lentils
• 3 cups chicken, beef or veggie stock (or bone broth!)
• 300ml - 400ml full fat coconut milk
• 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice

1. Lightly toast the curry in a heavy saucepan
2. Add the oil and other spices, stir to combine and gently heat for 1 - 3 minutes
3. Add the diced onions and garlic, stir to combine
4. Add the tamari and hot sauce, stir to combine and allow onions and garlic to sweat for about 3 minutes
5. Add the diced carrots, sweet potato and apple, stir to coat and allow to heat for another 3 minutes
6. Add the lentils, stir to combine
7. Add the broth and gently simmer until veggies & lentils are soft, about 30 minutes
8. Puree until smooth
9. Stir in the coconut milk and apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
10. Return to the stove and gently heat until warmed through and slightly bubbly

Enjoy!