Turkey Sweet Potato Stew (GF, Dairy Free)

It's finally raining and cold here. A little late, but I'll gladly take it. Aside from finally being able to bust out my cute Lululemon raincoat, it means soup weather (and frizzy hair) has arrived. I'm actually not really a soup person, I'm more of a stew person (thin vs. thick). Don't get me wrong I make soup, and I eat soup, I just don't love them like I love a good, thick stew. I see it like this - soup is for the sick, stew is for the hungry. And I'm always friggin' hungry. Something about a broth soup just leaves me, well...hungry.

So I'm presenting you with a stew that I love because its so different than anything I've made before, but the ingredients are easy to find. It combines sweet potatoes, ground turkey, tamari (or soy sauce), Harissa, and coconut milk as the key flavors - sounds kind of gross, but it works beautifully, I promise. As an option, you can add cauliflower florets - a little anti-cancer boost and some awesome texture, too. The stew is a little sweet mixed with spicy and savory. I'm having this tomorrow night most definitely. Oh, and if tasting good isn't your only requirement for a meal, it's also super healthy and clean. I'd like to highlight the ginger in the soup - it's my newest obsession. I'm trying to figure out what ginger can't do, honestly. It's great for digestive troubles, has major anti-inflammatory properties (I'm talking everything from arthritis to cancer), immune boosting, and is even used to treat skin burns. It's the ugly duckling of miracle foods, and I just love it.

Mission Crazy Good Stew: Accomplished.

*The original recipe calls for it to be made in the crockpot but I find that the sweet potatoes get too mushy when they cook for too long unattended so I kept it on the stovetop and loved the results. But either way works. A special shout out to Susan and Scott for the awesome lead on this recipe.

TURKEY SWEET POTATO STEW
adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen
serves 5

Ingredients:
1 1/4 lb lean ground turkey
2 tsp olive oil + 1 tsp
1 onion, cut in half and sliced into thin half-rounds

1 Tbsp finely minced ginger

3 minced garlic cloves
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup low-sodium tamari, or Bragg liquid aminos (or low-sodium soy sauce if you don't mind the gluten)
1 cup chicken stock
2-3 Tbsp Harissa (or Chili Garlic sauce), I added 2 Tbsp and liked that amount of heat
2 heaping cups cauliflower florets (optional, but I love it)
1 can light coconut milk (I like Trader Joe's brand)
1/2 cup green onions, sliced thin + extra for garnish
4 cups loosely packed spinach (kale or chard would work, too)
2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (optional)
lime wedges (optional)

Directions:

Brown turkey in 2 tsp olive oil in medium stock pot, breaking up meat into small pieces. Set aside once cooked. To the same pan, add 1 tsp more of olive oil (if needed) to cook the onion. Saute onion until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the harissa and stir to mix with onion/garlic/ginger. Add the turkey back to the pot along with the chicken stock, tamari, sweet potatoes, coconut milk, and green onions. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer until potatoes are soft, about 20-30 minutes. If you choose to add cauliflower, add it about 10-15 minutes after the potatoes. Taste for seasoning.

Lastly, add the spinach to the stew, and let wilt for several minutes. Serve with green onions, lime wedges and brown rice if you like. Eat up!

* For the crockpot method, brown the meat and onion as stated above, and add to the crockpot.  Mix the rest of the ingredients (except for the spinach, rice, and lime) in the crockpot and stir to combine. Add the spinach about 5-10 minutes before serving.