This soup was inspired by one of Carla Lalli Music’s recipes. Carla’s the former food director of Bon Appetit, and I was lucky enough to interview her for the Healthier Together podcast (it’s a really fun recipe, all about her path to food media success, with tons of healthy cooking secrets and ways to get inspired again in the kitchen…you can listen here).
Before the interview, I wanted to make a few recipes from her cookbook to prepare myself, and I stumbled upon a steamed sweet potato with tahini butter and lime. It was SO good—just a few ingredients, but they played off each other and created something so much more complex and interesting than the sum of their parts. The only problem? It wasn’t a meal.
I rarely serve dinners with a main dish and a number of sides—when I spend time cooking, I like to end up with a legitimate meal at the end, so I decided to use the same flavor profile and play around until I had something I was satisfied with.
Friends, I am SO satisfied with this soup. It’s got a fair bit of protein and fiber to keep you full (protein from the chickpeas and tahini, and fiber from the scrumptious sweet potatoes)—it definitely feels like a heartier soup, one you can eat for dinner and not be full a few hours later. My favorite part is the contrast between the creamy, sweet soup and the crispy, spicy chickpeas—and this makes enough chickpeas you’ll get at least one in every bite.
Want more soup?? Have you tried my Olive Garden-style Zuppa Toscana or my Better-Than-Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup? Have a soup you want me to makeover? Hit me up on Insta and you might get your wish!! xo
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One-Pot Sweet Potato Tahini Soup with Crispy Chickpeas (Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Ingredients
- 4 cups peeled, diced sweet potatoes (from about 2 medium sweet potatoes)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry (discard any skins that fall off but don’t be anal about it)
- 4 tablespoons ghee (can sub olive or avocado oil), divided
- 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 cups veggie stock
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- Sesame seeds, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Use the largest pot you have—you want to give the chickpeas room to not touch each other so they get crispy! Melt 3 tablespoons of ghee over high, then add chickpeas. Cook for 10-15 minutes until golden to dark brown.
- Transfer the chickpeas to a plate, leaving the oil in the pot but turning off the heat.
- Immediately toss chickpeas with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the smoked paprika. Set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon more of ghee to the pot, then add the onion, sweet potato, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook on medium-high until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add 3 cups of veggie stock and cook until sweet potatoes are fork tender. Blend in tahini, lime juice, and tamari. Add additional salt to taste and top with the chickpeas, a drizzle of tahini, and sesame seeds, if desired. Makes 2 generous servings. (If you’re storing for later, store the chickpeas at room temperature in a tightly sealed container and the soup separately in the fridge)
