Some may think the last thing we all need is another plant-based meal service. After all, so many have launched in the past year alone. It’s a big market and getting bigger. But once you discover Splendid Spoon, your search may end. It’s that good.
Splendid Spoon was founded by Nicole Centeno, a French Culinary Institute-trained chef, author of the Soup Cleanse cookbook and mother of three who had a hard-driving corporate career before she decided to enter the culinary world full-time. Like so many women, Centeno realized how difficult it is to juggle family and career while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Splendid Spoon, with over 50 ready-to-eat plant-based meals and a growing menu of delicious smoothies, solved the problem. Entrees like Roasted Cauliflower Grain Bowl, Lemon Wild Rice and Broccoli and Lentil and Kale Soup are satisfying and delicious, they are great go-tos for lunch, and they don’t tip the scale on calorie count. New smoothies include refreshing Mango Guava, Blue Majik with sea buckthorn and spirulina, among cult faves like Power Greens and Raspberry Cacao.
We persuaded Centeno to share one of her favorite Splendid Spoon soup recipes with us. It’s healthy and delicious and satisfying all year round!
Cumin Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes and yams are tuberous root vegetables that come from a flowering plant, but when it comes to flavor, the sweet potato reigns supreme. Its flesh can be orange, white, yellow, or reddish and has a sweeter and more delicate flavor than the starchier yam. How to stay on point in the grocery aisle? Look for tapered ends and you’ll always end up with the preferred sweet potato.
1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” chunks
¼ cup (about a handful) raw unsalted cashews, soaked in water overnight
½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
Pinch of ground red pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon sea salt
4 cups water
Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
Wrap the sweet potatoes in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a knife can be inserted and removed from the potatoes with ease. When the potatoes are done, open the foil carefully and let cool before handling.
In a countertop blender, combine the cooked potatoes, cashews and soaking water, cilantro, ground red pepper, cumin, salt, and 3 cups of the water. Blend until very smooth (you want a thin milkshake consistency), adding the remaining water as needed to reach this consistency.
Enjoy warm or chilled.
Note: You can roast the sweet potatoes whole, but they will take longer to cook.