Creamy Yam Soup + Spelt Flour Soda Biscuits

Yesterday evening, I got home and impressed myself. Why? I made dinner. A proper dinner. Salmon, asparagus, mini salad, and some toasted Kamut bread.

(I am incredibly proud of this feat because Sean is in Alberta right now and I have been eating very simply since he’s been gone. Cooking is more his thing – I do it when I have to, and am decent, but I’d rather bake. I haven’t been getting take out, but my meals have definitely been very basic – but healthy. Part of the reason for this is that I never remember to take stuff out of the freezer the night before or before I leave in the morning. Preparation is everything. But on Sunday night, the stars aligned and I took a salmon filet out of the freezer and put it in the fridge to thaw.)

And while I sautéed the asparagus and waited for my salmon to bake in the oven, I made tonight’s dinner as well: yam soup – currently my new favourite thing. It healthy, it’s filling, and easy to make. When we were in the UK, we ate a lot of soup. It’s really the only appropriate food to eat in the dreary winter. A nice bowl of soup or stew with a thick wedge of home made bread and everyone is a happy camper. It’s a make you feel at home kind of meal.

So, tonight, when I got home from yoga, all I had to do was make biscuits and stick a bowl of soup in the microwave. And then I propped my poor but well stretched legs on the coffee table and started up the PVR. It’s the little things that make me happy.

CREAMY YAM SOUP

Servings: 6-8
Time: Prep 10 min / Cook 30 min
Difficulty: easy
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SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp olive oil
2 large yams, peeled and cubed
3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large cooking onion, roughly chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste
6-7 cups of low sodium vegetable or chicken stock
1/4 cup almond milk (or any milk/cream)

PREP:

Wash, peel, and dice the yams
Mince garlic, chop celery and onion
Chop fresh basil

METHOD:

Heat olive oil on medium heat in a stock pot. If you are going to make soda biscuits, pre-heat oven to 450 F.
Sautée garlic, celery, and onion until the onion is soft. Season with ground ginger and pepper until onion is golden.
Add yam cubes and chopped basil.
Add soup stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat to allow yams to simmer for 20 minutes until yam is tender.
If you are making soda biscuits, now is the time to make and bake them.
When yams are tender (you should be able to easily stick a fork through the yam), remove from heat and blend until smooth with a stick blender or in a blender.
Season with salt to taste and wait for your biscuits to finish.
Stir in almond milk (or milk/cream of choice – whipping cream is FANTASTIC in this soup).
Optional – Sprinkle some chopped fresh basil before you serve. Enjoy!

HEALTHY SPELT FLOUR SODA BISCUITS

Servings: 12 biscuits
Time: 12 min
Difficulty: Easy
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INGREDIENTS:

2 cups spelt flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp (or less) salt
2-3 tbsp fresh chopped or dried herbs to taste (I use fresh rosemary and thyme)
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup almond milk or whatever milk you have on hand

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 450 F.
Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together.
Whisk in herbs.
Stir in olive oil and milk with a spatula or a wooden spoon (they are the best) until dough comes together.
Use your hands to lightly gather dough into a ball.
Separate dough into 12 discs (they don’t have to be perfect!) on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until biscuits have risen and are a light golden brown. (The longer you leave them in, the crispier they will be.)