Mighty Kumara 2018 Edition (Roasted Sweet Potato & Pear with Chickpeas)
Vegan | Dairy-Free* | Gluten-Free
(*No longer dairy-free once yoghurt is added as condiment.)
NZ Kumara with Gruyere
Fans of our Taste New Zealand campaign in 2017 might remember our NZ Kumara with Gruyere fondly! Kumara is Māori for sweet potato. Yes, the understated vegetable that has been tagged as the poor man’s food in Asia. No one would have guessed that this root vegetable with such humble beginnings is rated as the most nutritious of all vegetables when it was evaluated in the United States, scoring a whopping 582 points, with carrot coming in at far 434 for the USRDI (Recommended Daily Intake) measuring 6 nutrients (Vit A and C, folate, iron, copper and calcium) plus fibre. And it is virtually fat-free! A mighty root vegetable indeed!
In New Zealand, sweet potato is featured in many dishes and can be considered the country’s unofficial vegetable, just like how potatoes are to the Irish and tomatoes are to the Italians. Here, I have roasted it together with sweet pears, jazzed with chickpeas for a contrasting bite, added caramelised onions and sweetened it subtly with sugar. Balance the sweetness with a swirl of tangy natural yoghurt and you have for yourself a most delicious creamy soup!
Ingredients: Vegetable stock (water, root vegetables, herbs), roasted kumara (sweet potatoes), roasted pears, potatoes, chickpeas, onions, ginger, garlic, balsamic vinegar (contains sulphites), salt, sugar, turmeric, paprika
Condiment: A dollop of natural yoghurt