Slow Cooker Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Soup
When it comes to wholesome, warming meals that are both delicious and easy to prepare for pregnancy and postpartum, the spiced cauliflower and sweet potato soup recipe from The Food Doula Cookbook is one of my all-time go-tos.
When I was writing my pregnancy and postpartum cookbook, this was the first recipe my editor made at her home while we were working on the manuscript. She commented that she felt like she was eating something prepared in a restaurant, and for how easy this recipe is, that’s saying something!
This recipe takes only 10 minutes of hands-on time, making it a perfect choice for busy days and times when you don’t have a lot of energy to spare for cooking (like if you’re postpartum!). The ingredients all go into a slow cooker and it does all the work!
The fantastic thing about this recipe (besides the taste!) is that the cooking time doesn’t matter very much. Since you’ll be puréeing all of the veggies into a soup, it doesn’t matter if they get too soft. Just set the slow cooker to low, go about your day, then purée the soup when it’s time to eat.
This soup is an ideal recipe for postpartum freezer prep, or as a postpartum healing meal that can come together easily at home. I previously discussed why warm, soft foods are ideal in your postpartum diet, which you can read about here.
Ingredients That Matter
The beauty of this soup lies not only in its simplicity but also in the nutritional powerhouse that its ingredients create.
Here's what you'll need:
- 1/2 medium cauliflower, roughly chopped into florets
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 red onion, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 6 to 7 cups chicken bone broth
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup uncooked red lentils, rinsed
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
How to make it:
1. Add all ingredients to a slow cooker or a multicooker set to low/slow cook mode for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 hours, and leave it to cook.
2. Once the veggies appear nice and soft (or when you get around to it), purée the soup with an immersion blender, or transfer the soup in batches to a blender and blend until smooth.
Why this Recipe Supports Preconception, Pregnancy, and Postpartum Health
This soup isn’t just a warm hug in a bowl; it also provides a myriad of health benefits, particularly during the critical phases of preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum recovery.
Here’s why each ingredient was chosen to help you meet your nutrient needs for before, during, and after pregnancy:
Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes: Both are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals. Cauliflower is high in vitamin C and K, both of which are essential for immune health and proper blood clotting. Sweet potatoes are packed with beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, crucial for fetal development during pregnancy and for supporting the mother’s health. They’re also a wonderful complex carbohydrate that can help with glucose tolerance, which can support lowering risks of pregnancy complications.
Bone Broth: I cover why bone both is essential for pregnancy and postpartum on the blog and have also created a how-to guide called The Essential Bone Broth Guide if you want to learn more and make your own. Bone broth is an amazing natural tool for hydration and electrolytes making it an excellent choice for maintaining fluid balance, especially during the increased hydration needs of pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Red Lentils: These tiny legumes are a fantastic source of protein and folate, a vital nutrient that helps prevent neural tube defects in the developing fetus. They are also rich in fiber, which aids digestion, promotes more diverse gut microbes, and can reduce the risk of uncomfortable pregnancy or postpartum constipation and maybe even the pregnancy complication pre-eclampsia.
Raw Cashews: Packed with healthy fats and protein, cashews add creaminess to the soup and offer an added boost of magnesium, a mineral many women don’t get enough of during pregnancy that may help reduce the risk of complications. Healthy fats are often missing from soups but are crucial for brain development in infants, making this an excellent addition to your diet during pregnancy and postpartum.
Spices: The addition of spices like turmeric and cinnamon not only enhances the flavor but also brings anti-inflammatory properties to the table. Turmeric contains curcumin, known for its ability to reduce inflammation, which is beneficial for overall health and recovery. Cinnamon may help regulate blood sugar levels, providing energy stability for new mothers. For more use of these spices postpartum, check out my Golden Milk Latte.
How to Freeze The Slow Cooker Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Soup for Postpartum
Like all soups in The Food Doula Cookbook and The Ultimate Postpartum Nutrition Guide, the slow cooker cauliflower and sweet potato soup is freezer-friendly!
Because this soup is a warming meal made up of bone broth, complex carbohydrates, cooked vegetables, healing spices and lots of essential protein and fat, it makes the perfect choice for a healing postpartum meal you can prep in advance and stock in your freezer for postpartum.
To freeze this soup for postpartum:
Follow recipe as written
Once blended, transfer the soup to freezer friendly containers (if using glass mason jars, be sure to leave 2 inches of room at the top to leave room for the liquids to expand when frozen and prevent the glass from breaking). I recommend freezing at least a couple of servings in single-serving containers to make it easy for you to defrost and heat up in postpartum!
Move containers to the fridge to cool, several hours or overnight
Once cool, transfer to the freezer
How to Defrost and Enjoy in Postpartum
This soup will stay delicious and fresh for months - I recommend enjoying within 3 months for optimum taste.
When ready to enjoy this healing meal in postpartum, defrost your soup by leaving in the refrigerator overnight, then simply pour into a soup pot and re-heat until simmering. That’s it!
More Guidance and Recipes for Postpartum Freezer Prep
For step by step guidance on how to prep your freezer for postpartum, download the healing postpartum freezer prep guide here!
And if you’re looking for the best nourishing postpartum recipes and guidance on making healing postpartum meals you can prep in advance or make with limited postpartum energy, check out The Labour + Birth Nutrition Guide and The Ultimate Postpartum Nutrition Guide.