It is officially soup season! The chill in the air is finally, finally here and I am more than ready to break out my soup pot and begin making some fall meals. I cannot believe that it is already November 1st but I am a big fan of celebrating each transition of the seasons. We have spent the last few weekends apple picking, pumpkin carving, hiking, perfect ways to wind down.

I went to the farmers market without much of a plan and ended up choosing kale, spinach, and sweet potatoes for this soup. I love the hearty addition of sweet potato, and the bright orange and green make for a beautiful meal.

Broth based soups make for a filling meal for few calories. It’s also a great way to increase your intake of nutrient-dense vegetables. You really can’t go wrong with soup- I rarely have a plan and usually end up making up ingredients as I go.

Sweet Potato & Spinach Soup

Ingredients:
1 bunch spinach, washed and torn into pieces
1 bunch kale, washed and roughly torn in pieces
1 large sweet potato, cubed
1 large white potato, cubed
1 cup uncooked Acini Di Pepe pasta
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried oregano
8 cups vegetable broth

In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp. Earth Balance butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrots, salt, and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add potatoes, sage, oregano, cayenne pepper and another pinch salt/pepper. Cook for another ten minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the vegetable broth and reduce heat to low. Add Acini Di Pepe or other small pasta, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in spinach and kale during last 10 minutes of cooking. You want the greens to just be wilted, not overcooked.