Sweet potato gochujang soup: A high-protein winter warmer

It’s well and truly soup season – but did you know soup could be packed with this much protein? - (Kimberly Espinel)

“This is the perfectsoup to slurp in colder months,” says Gigi Grassia, author of new cookbook, Plant Protein.

“Where to begin? It combines the earthy sweetness of sweet potatoes with the bold flavour of gochujang paste, creating a rich and aromatic broth. Silken tofu adds creaminess while nutritional yeast contributes an umami depth of flavour. It takes roughly 30 minutes to make and you’ll honestly never guess that it is packed with so much protein!”

In fact, this warming soup contains 25g of protein per serving.

Sweet potato gochujang soup with crispy chickpeas

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

1 small-medium onion, finely chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

1 tbsp gochujang paste

350g sweet potatoes, chopped into 1cm cubes

450-600ml vegetable stock

1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and patted dry

1 heaped tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp ground cumin

1 tsp onion granules

300g silken tofu

2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast

200g vermicelli rice noodles

Olive oil, for cooking and drizzling

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

Sesame seeds

Spring onions, finely chopped

Method:

Gigi Grassia’s debut cookbook is dedicated to plant-powered protein sources (Greenfinch)

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/425F/gas mark 7 and a line a baking tray with baking parchment.

2. Heat a glug of olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onion, garlic and gochujang paste for five to eight minutes until the onions are soft and golden.

3. Add the sweet potatoes and a splash of stock to prevent sticking, then stir and cover. Cook for 20-30 minutes, or until fork tender, adding a little more stock to prevent sticking.

4. Meanwhile, toss the chickpeas in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, the paprika, cumin, onion granules and salt. Spread the chickpeas out on the prepared baking tray. Roast them in the oven for 35-40 minutes, then turn on the grill and grill for five to 10 minutes to ensure they’re crunchy. Alternatively, if you have an air fryer, you can air-fry the chickpeas at 200C for 15-20 minutes.

5. In a food processor, combine the cooked sweet potato mixture, silken tofu, nutritional yeast, vegetable stock and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until creamy. You might have to do this in batches.

6. Cook the rice noodles according to the packet instructions.

7. Assemble the bowls by ladling in the creamy soup, followed by the noodles. Garnish with the crispy chickpeas

Recipe from ‘Plant Protein: 80 Healthy And Delicious High-Protein Vegan Recipes’ by Gigi Grassia (Greenfinch, £22).