Chickpea, Sweet Potato & Coconut SoupRecipe by Chef Heidi Fink

Directions

1. Make the dry spice mix: mix spices together in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Make wet spice mix: cut everything into pieces about the size of a small clove of garlic and place in the workbowl of a food processor or blender.  Process until you have a paste of uniform texture.  TIP: If using a blender, you may need to add a little water to get the blades moving.
3. Scrape wet spice mix paste into a small bowl and set aside.
4. To make soup: In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat vegetable oil on medium-high.  Add the whole cumin seed and let sizzle for 10 seconds, then add onion and sauté as long as 10 minutes, until translucent and flecked with brown.
5. Add dry spice mix and stir for 10 seconds. Add wet spice mix and sauté, stirring vigorously, for about 2 to 3 minutes (be careful not to burn the spices).  Add tomato passata along with ½ cup water and the salt, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for at least 5 minutes, or until the water in the tomato evaporates and the oil separates and pools on the surface. TIP: seeing the oil separating and floating on the surface of the tomato mixture means you have the correct temperature for blooming the spices and aromatics to their full potential.
6. Add the stock, sweet potatoes and chickpeas. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, until vegetables are just tender.
7. Add tomato paste, coconut milk, lime juice, brown sugar and spinach (or kale).  Let simmer 3 more minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  You may want more tomato paste, lime juice, brown sugar or salt.
8. Stir in cilantro and serve immediately.