Oil-free sweet potato soup with Brussels sprout slices

The oil-free sweet potato soup with celery, carrot and Brussels sprout slices is quick and easy to prepare.

Serving size: The recipe is designed as a main course for 2-3 or a starter for 4-5 people.

Nutrient profile: One portion of this dish covers more than the average daily requirement of vitamins K and A. Vitamin C is covered by over 50% and omega-3 fatty acids by over 40%. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is 1:1, which is significantly below the maximum recommended ratio of 5:1. Read more at: Vegans often eat unhealthily. Avoidable nutritional errors.

Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes, also called sweet potatoes, are not actually potatoes at all. Although they grow as tubers in the ground, unlike regular potatoes they are not part of the nightshade family. The tubers have a high water content and cannot be stored as long as regular potatoes, but you can increase their shelf life by handling them carefully, such as avoiding bruising. The potato-like tubers come in different colors: orange-red with red-brown skin, yellow with red skin, and white with a light skin. We used the former in this recipe.

Brussels sprouts: Unlike other cabbages, Brussels sprouts do not consist of one head. This typical winter vegetable consists of several whitish-green buds. Brussels sprouts are not only rich in vitamins and nutrients, but are also said to protect white blood cells against cell damage caused by carcinogenic substances. The ingredient sulforaphane, which is also found in broccoli, is still the subject of current studies. The taste of Brussels sprouts is typically cabbage-like and slightly bitter, which is why children often do not like them. However, the bitter taste gives way to a tart-sweet aroma if Brussels sprouts are harvested after the first frost. The optimal harvest time is November/December.

Vegetable stock: A basic distinction is made between broth and stock. Broth serves both as a basic ingredient and as a dish in its own right, whereas stock is a heavily boiled, concentrated, and therefore unfinished cooking ingredient. However, depending on the concentration, stock is a very intense flavor carrier. For health reasons, we deliberately choose the low-salt version (see below).

Flaxseed: Flaxseed has a slightly nutty taste and a fat content of 40%. It contains around 50% of the polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), making it the highest concentration of omega-3 fatty acids of all known vegetable oils.

Reduce salt and oil: We have consciously reduced salt and left out oil for health reasons. You can find more information on this topic in the book we describe in detail: "Salt Sugar Fat" by Michael Moss.

Cook gently: We deliberately cook the vegetables for a very short time in order to retain as high a proportion of the desired nutrients as possible.

Make your own oat milk: You can also make your own oat milk. Information on making your own raw vegan oat milk can be found at the following link. As an alternative to oat milk, you can also use water or other plant-based drinks - e.g. based on hazelnuts, almonds, soy or rice. Information on how to make them can be found in the linked ingredients.

Stock: You can buy stock or make it yourself. Stocks are available in every well-stocked supermarket, usually in jars. However, commercial stocks often contain added salt, which is something to keep in mind for further use. If you want to make your own vegetable stock, you will find a suitable recipe below:
- Vegan vegetable stock with celery, leek, fennel

Oil: If you don't want to do without oil completely, you can sauté the onions in 1-2 tablespoons of refined rapeseed oil.