A Cookable Feast

Soul-soothing vegan goodness – that’s Creamy (Dairy-Free) Sweet Potato, Kale, and Cannellini Bean Soup!

It’s March, and here in Michigan, March means mega wax-and-wane weather. We’re in the midst of a warm spell bringing temperatures in the mid-60s, which feels downright Floridian after winter’s ice and chill. Four days from now, the high is projected to be 38 degrees. Basically, the weather is ever-changing, its progression nonlinear, unpredictable. And unpredictability can feel disconcerting, especially for me of the Type A personality and lover of planning and order and checklists – and especially in these wholly unpredictable COVID times. But you know what soothes a soul in the midst of uncertainty? Soup. And Creamy (Dairy-Free) Sweet Potato, Kale, and Cannellini Bean Soup is a soup soul-soother (try saying that three times fast) of the utmost order!

Who would have thought I could be so enamored with a meat-less, cream-less, sugar-less concoction? And yet, I am SO in love with Creamy (Dairy-Free) Sweet Potato, Kale, and Cannellini Bean Soup! This hearty soup may be plant-based, but it’s bringing the flavor and sumptuous creaminess. It’s easy to forget there’s not a shred of dairy in Creamy (Dairy-Free) Sweet Potato, Kale, and Cannellini Bean Soup, that the creaminess is provided by the plant-powered trifecta of coconut oil, flour, and almond milk. It’s THAT good.

And meat? I’m not missing that from Creamy (Dairy-Free) Sweet Potato, Kale, and Cannellini Bean Soup, either. The first draft of this soup had bacon in it instead of beans. I ADORE bacon; before making this soup, I espoused the opinion that EVERYTHING could be made better by the delightfully salty, fatty cured pork. But bacon just didn’t vibe for me with the other flavors of this soup.

I worried that switching to cannellini beans would make the soup boring – but it didn’t! With its sautéed onion and garlic and subtle infusion of vibrant spices (here’s looking at you, oregano, cumin, and coriander!), Creamy (Dairy-Free) Sweet Potato, Kale, and Cannellini Bean Soup has flavor in spades. So thank you, cannellini beans, for gracefully holding space for the flavor while also bringing your protein punch!

Creamy (Dairy-Free) Sweet Potato, Kale, and Cannellini Bean Soup is also brimming with nutritional goodness, swimming with healthy veggies as it is. Kale is loaded with antioxidants and vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and A, calcium, and potassium. Sweet potatoes and carrots are full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, too! Plus, these vegetables simply taste good. Who says veggies have to be boring? When you present them à la a flavorful vehicle such as Creamy (Dairy-Free) Sweet Potato, Kale, and Cannellini Bean Soup, they’re allowed to shine.

I especially love kale for how well it holds up in soup. The naturally tough leaves wilt but don’t disintegrate, as lettuce would.

We are tough like kale, too. We may wilt at times, but we won’t disintegrate! We will weather it out, the ever-waxing-and-waning nature of this thing called life. Cozy comforts such as Creamy (Dairy-Free) Sweet Potato, Kale, and Cannellini Bean Soup are here to provide respite when we need it!

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Creamy (Dairy-Free) Sweet Potato, Kale, and Cannellini Bean Soup

Luxuriously creamy despite containing no dairy, this vegan soup is chockful of nutrient-rich veggies and flavor.

Course Main Course, Soup

Keyword Comfort Food, Cozy Meals, Dairy-Free, Dinners, Soups, Vegan

Servings 6

Author A Cookable Feast

Ingredients

• 1 tbs. coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 cups vegetable stock
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 3 cups tightly-packed kale leaves, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 2 cups cooked cannellini beans
• 1 1/2 cups peeled and chopped carrots
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 tsp. coriander
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 cups almond milk

Instructions

1. Add the tablespoon of coconut oil, onion, and garlic to a large pot. Sauté over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until softened, about three to four minutes.

2. Add the stock, sweet potatoes, kale, cannellini beans, carrots, bay leaves, and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gently-rolling simmer and let cook for at least 20 minutes.

3. Toward the end of the simmering process, melt the half cup of coconut oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour so that a smooth paste forms. Then stir in the milk, a little at a time, until a creamy sauce emerges. Reduce heat as needed during this process.

4. Mix the sauce in with the rest of the soup, remove the bay leaves, and voilà! Creamy (Dairy-Free) Sweet Potato, Kale, and Cannellini Bean Soup awaits.