Recipe: Sweet potato coconut soup

While Brian likes to point out that "no one cares what I had for lunch," I feel compelled to post recipes from time to time. You care what I had for dinner, right?

This is based on a recipe from Fresh Food Fast by Peter Berley. For a while I was doing it with tofu instead of beans (about eight ounces, just cubed and tossed in with the liquid), but then Brian and I realized we don't really like tofu. We usually have it served over rice, and if you serve it over brown rice, that healthiness combined with the beans and the different colored vegetables should probably let you justify any number of chocolate chip cookies for the rest of the week. I mean, orange veggies, leafy greens, whole grains, legumes? SO HEALTHY. 

Also, this soup was one of the first real foods that Adriana ate. She tried a bit of rice cereal at seven months old, and then turned up her nose at most solids (especially purees). But just after her first birthday she chowed down on this. Apparently I just wasn't offering her interesting enough flavors.

Sweet Potato Coconut Soup with Black Beans and Chard 

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

2 small or 1 large sweet potato peeled and diced (one-inch)

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 jalapeno, minced

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 (15-ounce) can black beans

1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk

2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 small bunch chard, center ribs discarded, sliced thin

juice of one small lime

handful of cilantro, chopped

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Saute onions 3-4 minutes, until softened.
2. Add sweet potatoes, ginger, pepper, garlic, and coriander. Saute 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Add beans, water, coconut milk, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
4. Stir in chard and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
5. Stir in lime juice and cilantro and serve.