Non-fat, tasty vegan soup--really, can it be??

I saw this recipe in the Moosewood Restaurant's cookbook of low-fat meals. The recipe claimed that no one who had ever tried this soup had failed to like it. That sort of statement sounds so preposterous that I thought, "How can I not make this recipe?"

Given the absence of fat in the recipe, I was expecting it might make something that was not terribly tasty . . . bland, boring, exactly what many people expect out of high-vegetable, low-fat cooking. But boy, was I wrong.

The trick is to squirt in the juice of a lime wedge or two into individual bowls at serving time, and stir the lime in a bit. The sweet-tartness of the lime pulls the soup together in an amazing way. Every herbivore and omnivore I've served it to has liked it, just like the book said.


Sweet Potato and Corn Chowder

1 cup finely chopped onion
1 chile, seeded and minced (I use a mild poblano, as I can't handle really spicy foods)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Up to 4 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 medium sweet potato, cubed
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
3 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen (I use fresh and cut them off the cob before cooking--fresh corn is highly preferable to frozen, as frozen corn has largely stopped being sweet and started being just starchy)
chopped cilantro and lime wedges (for individual servings)

Chop all of the vegetables and flavorings for your soup. You'll be getting a bit of a work-out chopping it all.

Add one cup vegetable broth, the onions, chile and garlic to a heavy, pref. non-stick saucepan. Bring it to boil, cut back heat to a simmer and cover. Cook and occasionally stir for 10 minutes.

Make a cumin paste with the cumin and 3 teaspoons of the vegetable broth. Add paste to the saucepan, cover, and simmer for 2 minutes.

Add the sweet potato and one cup of the broth and bring back a simmer, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the corn and the bell pepper, one cup of the broth and return to simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Place approximately half of the soup in a blender or food processor and puree, add back to saucepan. Add the last of the broth if the soup is too thick. Serve with the lime wedges and cilantro in separate dishes.

Enjoy! (You can also find more free Moosewood recipes here. I highly recommend the cookbook as well.)