Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Sweet Potato, Black Eyed Peas Soup

We got the first snow of the season! The roads were clogged, it took 3 hrs to travel 10-15 miles which normally takes about 45 minutes during rush hour. Unlike our brethren up north we don't deal with snow that well bringing pretty much everything to a stand still around here. DD was disappointed that her school was not closed, if they had she would have used the time to do some important activity like playing on her DS or the Computer :( Kids!!!

It would be appropriate to say that winter heralds the start of the soup season. Soup the comfort food that brings a warm glow to the insides. Tasted this wonderful hearty soup on Thanksgiving at our friend's house. Thanksgiving and winter also brings sweet potatoes into sharp foucs. There is mounds of them piled high in the grocery store but not many dishes that I know of where they can be readily used. Boiled is how we most often eat them. The Sweet Potatoes are left chunky but soft and with the addition of the black eyed peas to give some texture, a perfect one pot meal.



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Recipe Source: Land O' Lakes

Serves 4 as a Main Course
Ingredients
1. 3 Medium Orange Sweet Potatoes skin removed and cubed
2. 1 1/2 Medium sized Ripe tomatoes
3. 1 Cup Black Eyed Peas
4. 1/2 Onion Chopped
5. 5 Garlic cloves chopped
6. 1 tbsp tomato ketchup (or tomato paste)
7. 1 tsp pepper powder
8. 1 tsp red chili powder
9. a handful chopped corriander leaves
10. 2 1/2 Cups Chicken Broth (any broth would work)
11. 2 tsp butter or ghee
12. Salt to taste

Method
1. In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the ghee and saute the garlic and onion till soft.
2. add the cubed potatoes and saute for a few minutes
3. add the tomatoes and black eyed peas and saute for a minute
4. add the pepper powder, chili powder and tomato sauce
5. add the broth and bring it to a boil, adjust salt
6. Reduce the heat to medium and let simmer till the potatoes are cooked. It should retain its shape and not fall apart
7. Just before turning off the heat add the chopped coriander leaves


Tastes fantastic with a side of garlic bread.

Novel Reading:
Critical - Robin Cook
More my kind of book, medical mystery

19 comments:

  1. ISG>>SP's, as you rightly mentioned are known even to me in the boiled form only! A soup frm SP is something new to me! Shall try this out..btw those 3 bowls remind me of fairy tale-'PAPA bear's bowl,MAMA bear's bowl and BABY bear's bowl :D ! Enjoy the snow!! Lovely picture too!!My search for PP is still on! :)

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  2. nice, healthy looking soup.

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  3. Never tried a soup with sweet potato before. But it looks sooo appealing and good with that side of garlic bread. I guess black eyed peas are there to balance the sweetness from the potato. Have to try it to be sure. Nice recipe and pictures ISG.

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  4. Yummy. I love black-eyed-peas.

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  5. I love waht you do with your beans. You should publish a beanie cook book :)

    You read fast, hanh, I see a new book with every post.
    I have been trying to read Kite Runner for months now. At last got some time and finishing it up. Have you read it ?

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  6. I *love* sweet potato in soups! Chunky, yet soft, and it picks up flavors so well!

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  7. interesting combo, would like to try this sometime!

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  8. Hot soup for the cold winter ...looks perfect . sweet potatoes and black eyed peas combo sounds nice.

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  9. Soup looks good and healthy too ! iw ill try the vegeretian version of it . :) .
    thanks for sharing, evne seeing such soup is a good feeling for these cold evenings...

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  10. You know ISG, I don't like sweet potatoes. I never have. But seeing them here in this toasty warm soup of yours and thinking of the snow and ice outside is making me want to put them on the shopping list for this weekend :) Looks delish!!

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  11. PS I am with Sandeepa -- when can we expect your bean book? :):)

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  12. Purnima thats what attracted me to this soup in the first place and since they are plentiful during the winter seemed like a good idea.
    Good Luck with the PP search, keeping my fingers crossed for you.

    Jayshree, thanks give it a try.

    Kribha, thank you, it is a nice way to use them sweet potatoes. give it a try you will like them.

    Kalyn, me too.

    Sandeepa, ha ha! will do! promise me you will buy it :)
    I have a atleast an hour ride each way so I go through a lot of books. If not for the commute I would not have time to read them books. No Sandeepa, have not read the book but I did read about the movie I think. Was looking forward to watching the movie.


    KayKat, sure does, the sweet potato is a perfect soup material.

    Richa, sure let me know how you like it.

    Prema, soups are the perfect antidote for this cold weather.

    Pooja, yes substitute the chicken broth with Veg. broth. Sure even a picture of a warm bowl is comforting :)

    Linda, I am happy I have two customers already :) LOL
    How about squash in place of sweet potatoes? but really I don't like them that much myself but in this soup there were actually delicious. Give it a try for sure.

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  13. Yummy! black eyes peas and sweet potatoes are delish in their own right and together they must have tasted even yummier!

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  14. During my recent trip to Salem, I visited Kolli Mallai and could not stop from thinking of you. We had Veggie attu Kaal soup there...divine!

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  15. very different combho you have used ...something new lady !!!...sweet potato soup ...got to try this one ...

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  16. That seems like a great, all in one soup!!

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  17. interesting combo..nothing like this on a cold day!

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