Lunch: Cinnamon-Spiced Sweet Potato Soup with Maple Croutons

This soup is full of vitamin A which is great for eye health. And it's delicious too!

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health benefits of Cinnamon-Spiced Sweet Potato Soup with Maple Croutons

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

Ingredients

4 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. carrots (about 4 large), cut into 1/2-in. pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
pinch of nutmeg
1 lb. sweet potatoes (about 2 medium), peeled and cut into 3/4-in. pieces
2 tbsp. chicken or vegetable bouillon base
2 dried bay leaves
2 slices leftover bread, cut or torn into 1-in. pieces
1 tbsp. maple syrup

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are starting to brown at the edges 8 to 10 minutes. Add the spices and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add the sweet potatoes, bouillon base, bay leaves and 6 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown. Remove from heat, drizzle the maple syrup over the top and toss to coat.
Discard the bay leaves. Using an immersion blender (or standard blender in tow batches) puree the soup until smooth. Serve with the maple croutons.