shrimp and sweet potato soup

Make an extra batch of this amazing soup to store in the freezer!

(Special to BHL) - As healthy foods go, the sweet potato is hard to beat. Touted as one of the most nutritious vegetables, the bright orange, fiber-packed tubers are rich in vitamins and minerals, and are a great choice for any diet.

And while sweet potatoes are good for everybody, for diabetics they are an even wiser choice. Because they are a low glycemic index (GI) food they release glucose slowly into the bloodstream helping avoid spikes in blood sugar levels — an important factor in managing diabetes.

This recipe is not only healthy, it’s also easy. You’ll be serving a fun, richly flavored soup with a spectrum of color and flavor to match. Claw crabmeat can be substituted for the shrimp

Shrimp and Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, cored and chopped (Note: For more color, add a red or yellow bell pepper.)
1 tsp. minced garlic
4 cups canned vegetable broth or chicken broth
2 cups diced, peeled sweet potatoes (yams)
1 (10 oz.) bag frozen cut green beans
1 (10 oz.) bag fresh spinach
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 (10 oz.) can chopped tomatoes and green chilies
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash hot pepper sauce
Sliced green onions (scallions), optional

Instructions:

Coat a large pot with nonstick cooking spray, and set over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the broth, sweet potatoes, frozen green beans, spinach, shrimp, tomatoes and green chilies, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and hot sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the green onions, if desired, and add more broth if soup is too thick. Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition Info:
Per serving: CAL 94 (8% from fat); FAT 1g; SATURATED FAT 0.1 g; PROTEIN 9g; CARB 14g; CHOL 56mg; SODIUM 590mg; FIBER 3 g
Credits:

Courtesy Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission