It’s starting to feel more like fall here in Southern California. To me that means big cozy sweaters, sipping hot tea and eating good, hearty soup. Sweet potato is a popular Fall ingredient and one that is readily available at the markets this time of year so I chose that to be the star of this comforting vegan soup recipe.

The creamy, sweet potato and red pepper base is filling on its own, but with the addition of black beans and kale, becomes a hearty and filling meal. In addition to the soup, I made a cilantro vegan cheese as a garnish. This adds a little unexpected twist and lends a cooling element to the dish.

This soup is hearty, warming and will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy all over. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!

Vegan Mexican Sweet Potato Soup with Cilantro Feta “Cheese”

Soup:

2 large sweet potatoes

1 red bell pepper

1 can black beans

1 carton vegetable broth

1 cup kale

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 jalapeno, chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

sea salt and pepper to taste

Cilantro feta cheese:

1/2 block firm tofu

1/4 cup cilantro

1 tbsp veganaise

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp sea salt

1. Peel and cut the sweet potato and red pepper into uniformly sized pieces. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 for 25 min or until soft.

2. in the meantime, get a soup pot and saute the garlic, onion and jalapeno in a little bit of oil until soft

3. Take the vegetables out of the oven, let cool, than add to the blender along with the contents of your soup pot and a little bit of the broth

4. Blend until everything is smooth then pour into your soup pot and add the rest of the broth (you may want to add more if you like a thinner consistency)

5. Add the black beans and kale, season and stir. Simmer for 5-10 min or until the kale wilts down

6. In a bowl, add all ingredients for the cheese and mix well

7. Serve a dollop of cheese on top of each bowl of soup and enjoy!

More winter-warming vegan soup recipes: Fall Vegan Pumpkin Soup

Rice Noodle Soup in Coconut Kale Broth

Vibrant Coconut Carrot Soup

Photos by: Kathryn Farrugia