It’s still winter and what better way to cozy up than with healthy and delicious comfort food. This vegan roasted sweet potato and lentil soup with Eastern spices and a tangy tahini sauce hits all the right spots. It’s also the perfect way to make use of sweet potatoes while they’re still in season. Simple, fulfilling, and feel good food at its best. Here is my twist to the traditional shorabit ‘adas or lentil soup and all in about half an hour. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS/ SERVES 4-6

1 1/2 cups (240 gr.) red lentils, rinsed
6 (about 750 gr.) sweet potatoes, skins removed and cubed
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
generous pinch of dried red chili flakes, optional
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon smoky paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
7 cups vegetable stock or 1 organic vegetable stock cube
5 tablespoons tahini
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 220 C (425 F). Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over them. Rub the potatoes with the oil so that they are all lightly greased. Sprinkle lightly with salt and roast for about 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden and tender.

2. In the meantime, sauté the onion over medium heat in a medium pot with 3 tablespoons of olive oil for about 7 minutes until golden and translucent. Stir in the garlic and chili flakes. Add 7 cups (1645 ml) of boiling vegetable stock (or water plus 1 vegetable stock cube) to the pot and stir in bay leaves, spices, salt, and lentils. Leave to simmer for for about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves after the soup is cooked.

3. For the tahini sauce, mix together the tahini and lemon until light and smooth. Then stream in water as needed while mixing, until you have the consistency of a thick sauce. Set aside.

4. Blitz half of the potatoes and half of the lentil soup in a blender until smooth. Repeat with the other halves. Work in batches if your blender is too small. Alternatively, use a hand mixer to blend the soup inside of the pot. Add additional salt to your taste and blitz the soup until smooth.

5. Serve and drizzle with tahini sauce, parsley or coriander, and chopped spring onion. Enjoy!

NOTES

1. For a thinner soup, add another 1/2 cup of hot stock or water while blending to obtain your desired consistency.