First things first, YES I know it is April and I’m posting a soup recipe. Why?  I woke up to snow..yes snow on April 16th. It was in the 70s, sunny, and gorgeous up here on Hunter Mountain on Monday and then a brutal cold front snapped us all back to reality!  This is where the soup comes in: I desperately needed something to warm me from the inside out, and this soup definitely hit the spot! Enjoy! xx Lees

Ingredients (serves 2-4):

• 4 medium sweet potatoes, placed in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 1 hour, skins will easily peel off when they’re cool!
• 4 Cups non-dairy milk (I used hemp milk to make this soup decadently creamy)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 chipotle in adobe sauce, chopped
• 1 Avocado, diced
• 2 Tablespoon avocado oil OR extra virgin olive oil
•  1 Tablespoon dark maple syrup
• 3/4 teaspoon dried cumin
• Salt to taste
• Optional: 1 onion, diced (I am intolerant of onions but feel free to add them to your soup!)
• Optional: 1/2 Tablespoon dried chipotle powder (for those who want an extra KICK!)

• Cashew Sour Cream:

  • 1 Cup raw cashews
  • 1 small lemon, juiced
  • 1-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • salt to taste

Directions:

1. Let’s start the cashew cream!  If you plan ahead, soak your cashews over night in water & drain.  If you’re like me, it’s completely fine to not soak them!  Either way you choose to do your cashews, add them to your blender with 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar & fresh lemon juice, blend.  If your cashews were not soaked, add 1 Tablespoon of water at a time, until desired consistency is reached.  Salt to taste.  If your sour cream isn’t sour enough, add 1 additional teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.
2. In a medium-large on medium-high heat, add your oil, roasted sweet potatoes, garlic (onions if using), cumin, chipotle (chipotle powder, if using), and saute for 5 minutes.  Add your non-dairy milk and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.  I used my immersion blender to make this soup creamy. Feel free to add your soup to your blender!  You can serve as-as, or let your soup sit and develop more flavors!  
3. I added the diced avocado and a dollop of sour cream atop my soup.  I unfortunately don’t have any of my smokin’ coconut bacon left (gasp!), but that would be a delish addition to the soup!

4. Enjoy eating whole! Lexi REALLY wanted a taste…