Turmeric Sweet Potato Black Pepper Soup {Gluten Free, Nut Free}

You will fall in love with this Turmeric Sweet Potato and Black Pepper Soup for it looks, deep flavours and silky smoothness. This soup is just what you need on a cold day – it is a hug in a bowl!

At 209 calories, approximately, per portion (see the detailed break up of nutrition values) this one pot meal in a bowl is a great option for those of us who are looking for healthy lunch ideas for weight loss and on a budget! I serve this along with a simple greens stir fry and sautéed bottle gourd (calabash) to make a wholesome grain free meal.

Goodness of Turmeric and Black Pepper

“Pepper your turmeric” – you must have heard this phrase. Both turmeric and black pepper are power houses of health benefits on their own. These two spices become even more powerful when they come come together in a dish – like all the super heroes rolled into one (are you thinking of Avengers?!). Turmeric, the bright golden coloured spice, has been used in Indian cooking for hundreds of years. It’s main ingredient is curcumin which gives turmeric its bright yellow hue and healing properties. There is one problem though – Curcumin on its own is not easily absorbed into the blood! This is the point where our other hero Black Pepper enters the stage! Tadaaa! Black pepper has certain properties that helps the curcumin of turmeric to be absorbed to our system. Hence the phrase “Pepper your Turmeric”! Read more about the many health benefits of these incredible spices here.

Introduce tastes and flavour to your child with this dish

This warming soup is a good way of introducing flavours to your child. Sweet potatoes are good for babies from as little as 8 months. However since this recipe has black pepper in it, I recommend this for children from the age of 12 months. You can, of course, moderate the quantity of black pepper for your baby and make it part of the weaning food. Your child will love the layers of flavours that come through in this soup. The balance of sweetness combined with the tang and the warmth of the black pepper will hit the right spot for your child!

Few things to bear in mind when making this healthy soup for your baby

1. I recommend that you use fresh stock if you are making this recipe to your baby.
2. If you do want to use stock cube as I have done in this recipe, make sure you use something that is low in salt, has no added MSG and is yeast free.
3. Reduce the amount of black pepper. Since we are adding the pepper at the very end of the cooking process, it is easier for you to adjust the quantity to suit your baby’s palate.

Have you made this recipe for your baby? Did she like it? Do share with me on Instagram. I would love to hear from you. 

Want to make this dish Vegan?

You can do that easily. Just one ingredient and voila! To make this dish vegan, simply cut out the single cream and instead add full fat coconut milk (the tinned variety) to it.

Step by Step Instructions for making Turmeric Black Pepper Soup

The base of this recipe is just 3 main ingredients – sweet potatoes, onion and garlic. I use brown onions for this recipe instead on the red ones. The red onions, I feel, will add their own colour to the dish and I do not want that for this dish. The hero of this dish is the turmeric and I want the other ingredients to only add their goodness and flavour – not their colour!

1. Peel and chop these into small (ish) pieces – for even and faster cooking time.

2. Chop the sweet potatoes into small cubes. Remember to keep the chopped sweet potatoes in water till it is time to add them to the dish. Once cut, sweet potatoes tend to turn brownish quite quickly.

3. Heat olive oil in a deep saucepan/ soup pot on medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic and over medium heat till they are translucent and shiny. Make sure they DO NOT change colour – you want them just soft, translucent and shiny. Adding some salt at this stage will help achieve this.

4. Add the sweet potatoes, stock cube (or fresh stock), half the quantity of the hot water, remaining salt and turmeric. Mix well, cover and cook. If you are using fresh stock, then you do not use to add any more water. You will need 1250 ml of fresh stock.

5. Cook till the sweet potatoes are really soft – they should turn into mush with the slightest pressure from the ladle.

6. When the veggies are soft and cooked through, remove from heat and blend it into a smooth, soupy texture. I use my favourite hand blender to do so. Add the remaining hot water (or fresh stock) and blend some more.

7. Return the soup back to the heat – on high till it comes back to a boil and then turn the heat down to low. Let it simmer for a few minutes.

8. While it is simmering, add the ground black pepper, juice of lime and single cream. Mix well and continue to simmer for a couple of more minutes.

Note: If you want to make this a vegan dish, just replace the single cream with full fat coconut milk.

9. Turn the heat off. Cover and rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm with fried onions and bread croutons or your favourite garnishes.

Have you tried this recipe? Do let me know in the comments below or on social media. 

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Nutrition Values (approximate) for Turmeric Sweet Potato Black Pepper Soup

Note: The information shown is based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Recipe Card

Turmeric Sweet Potato Black Pepper Soup – Easy and Delicious

Author: Padma @mygoodfoodworld Cooking Method:Boiling, Simmering Cuisine:Indian Courses:Easy Dinners, Suppers Recipe Keys:Gluten Free, Soy Free, Grain Free, Nut Free, Suitable for children 12 months and above

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 30 minutesTotal time: 40 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:209 kcal

Description

This soup is not only looks stunning, but is also so easy to make, tastes delicious and has great health benefits too!

Ingredients

The Veggies:

• Sweet Potatoes – 3 medium sized (500-600g); peeled and cubed¹
• Garlic – 3 cloves (10 – 15g); peeled and chopped
• Onion – 1 medium sized (100 – 150g); peeled and chopped²

The Spices and Flavourings:

• Olive Oil – 2 tablespoons
• Salt – 2 teaspoons or as per taste
• Ground Turmeric – 1 teaspoon (3g approx)
• Juice of lime – 2 tablespoons (30ml)
• Ground Black Pepper – 1 teaspoon (3g) or less as per taste³
• Single Cream – 3 tablespoons (45ml)⁴

The Stock

• Hot Water – 1 litre and 250 ml
• Vegetable Stock Cube – 1⁵

Garnish (Optional):

• Fried Onions⁶
• Bread Croutons ⁷

Instructions

1. Heat a deep saucepan on medium heat. Add olive oil.
2. When oil is warm, add the garlic and onions. Fry till the onions are soft and translucent. Do not brown them. Add some of the salt to the onions to help them soften without browning.
3. Add the chopped sweet potatoes and fry for a minute.
4. Crumble and add the stock cube. (Omit this step if using fresh stock)
5. Add half the quantity of water (or fresh stock, if using) to the sweet potatoes. Add turmeric and remainder of the salt. Stir, cover and cook till sweet potatoes are cooked soft. This may take up to 15 minutes.
6. When the sweet potatoes are cooked soft, take the pan off the heat and blend it smooth. I use a hand blender.
7. Add the remaining water (or stock) at this stage and blend some more. Make sure that there are not vegetables bits.
8. Return the pan to the heat on high. Bring it to boil and then turn the heat to low.
9. Add the juice of lime, cream and ground black pepper. Mix well. Check for taste and adjust, if needed. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
10. Turn off the heat, cover and let it rest for 5 minutes for all of the flavours to come together. Garnish with fried onions and bread croutons (if using) and serve warm.
11. Enjoy this warming, hearty and healthy soup with some greens stir fry and sautéed bottle gourd (calabash) for a wholesome grain free meal.

Notes & Substitutions

• 1. Sweet Potatoes: There are darker ones and lighter ones; some that are sweeter than the others. We prefer the more sweeter variety for this recipe as it balances well with the turmeric, black pepper and lime juice. Tip: Make sure you cut the sweet potatoes into small cubes (see reference photo above). This will help in cooking them fast. Another tip: Once cut, immerse them in water till it is time to use them in the dish. Once cut, sweet potatoes can turn brown in no time.
• 2. Onions: For this recipe, I prefer to use the brown onions and not the red ones. Red onion tend to add a reddish hue to the dish which we do not want for this dish. Turmeric is the hero of this dish and we do not want any other colour clashing with it and taking away its glorious hue!
• 3. Making this for your baby? Wonderful! Just Reduce the amount of black pepper. Since we are adding the pepper at the very end of the cooking process, it is easier for you to adjust the quantity to suit your baby’s palate.
• 4. Want to make it a vegan dish? To make this dish Vegan, simply cut out the single cream and instead add full fat coconut milk to it.
• 5. Vegetable Stock Cube: We prefer to use stock cubes instead of making fresh stock. We use stock cubes that are low in salt and have no added MSG. If you prefer making fresh stock, then use 1250 ml of stock instead of water. The stock cubes that I use are 10g each.
• 6. Bread Croutons: The recipe is a grain free one. If you want to make this part of a grain free meal, then do not use bread croutons.
• 7. Fried Onions: I always have stock of shop bought fried onions in my pantry. I find it a lot easier to buy ready fried ones. You could however make them at home if you have the time!

Keywords:turmeric and black pepper, turmeric and black pepper soup, sweet potato soup, turmeric sweet potato black pepper