Roasted Beetroot and Carrot Soup with Sweet Potato Croutons

Like Solange Knowles, I love color. My wardrobe is riddled with vibrant jewel tones and bold prints, so it should come as no surprise that I am similarly drawn to colorful dishes. If I'm being honest, I probably love beets because of their vibrant purple shade as much as I love their taste. One of my favorite ways to use excess vegetables is to make soup because it keeps well and can easily be frozen. With some beets, carrots, and sweet potato lying around, I decided to make a rich roasted beetroot and carrot soup with sweet potato croutons. To give it an extra punch of flavor, I was a little heavy-handed when it came to the spices. To give it a true Ghananian twist, I added a tablespoon of moringa. 

Although I've known about moringa's properties for years thanks to my mother, who swears that a bit of moringa a day keeps the doctor away, I was recently re-introduced to the "miracle tree" when I met Kwami Williams of Moringa Connect, an Echoing Green Fellow and former rocket scientist turned social entrepreneur. Moringa comes from a tree that thrives in the arid Sahel region. Its leaves have more vitamin A than carrots, more protein than eggs, more calcium than milk and more iron than spinach. 

Roasted Beetroot and Carrot Soup with Sweet Potato Croutons
Serves 4

For soup:
6 medium beetroots
4 large carrots
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can coconut milk (400 ml) 
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon
1 tablespoon moringa
Salt and pepper to taste 

For croutons: 
4 medium sweet potatoes, cubed in small pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium Spanish onion 

  1. Peel and chop the beetroots and carrots, drizzle them with olive oil, and roast at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour until cooked through.
  2. Remove from the oven and place in a large stockpot with the coconut milk, spices, salt, and pepper. Purée with an immersion blender until smooth. Add water as needed to reach desired consistency.
  3. In a pan, sauté the sweet potatoes and onion until slightly crispy. 
  4. You can add a few spring onions for color if you have them on hand. Bon appetit!