Sweet Potato Stew: A Meditation in the Kitchen
/By Maureen Farley — Last Updated: October 9, 2025
Cooking is creative, meditative, and artistic.
As a child, I was mesmerized by Julia Child and Jacques Pépin. To me, they weren’t just cooks — they were alchemists, transforming humble ingredients into feasts of color, texture, and flavor. Watching them, I dreamed of one day creating meals that carried that same magic, dishes that could delight and nourish the people I loved.
When my brother began traveling the world during my preteen years, he brought pieces of those journeys back to me through food. Each homecoming became an adventure: Thai squid curry simmering with spice, Chinese soup fragrant with wood ears and rice wine, rösti crisp and golden from Switzerland - transported all the way to our little kitchen in Fargo, North Dakota. Together we cooked, tasted, and wandered through restaurants in search of new flavors. He showed me that food could be a passport — a joyful exploration of cultures, stories, and connection.
At seventeen, I met my first yoga teacher, who was also a macrobiotic chef. From him I learned that cooking could be more than technique — it could be a meditation, a practice of love. He taught me that when you stir with joy, season with intention, and breathe mantras into the process, the food carries that energy forward. And when you cook with worry or distraction, the meal often falters — a reminder of food karma, that in the kitchen, as in life, we reap what we sow.
Through these teachers, I discovered that cooking is not only about feeding the body but also about tending the spirit. Each meal became a canvas for creativity, a prayer of gratitude, and a way to focus my energy both within the kitchen and far beyond it.
Thanks to my many teachers, cooking has become a creative, meditative, and spiritual practice. I infuse each step with love and mantra, allowing the process itself to become peaceful, centering, and grounding. I find deep joy in preparing meals for loved ones and watching them savor what I’ve created. When someone I care for is unwell, making a nourishing soup to support their healing also nourishes me. As part of my spiritual practice, I often cook as an offering for gatherings like kirtan (devotional singing). Cooking is how I express love and creativity, how I connect with my community — experimenting with new techniques, adapting and combining recipes, and refining old favorites. From garden or grocery to plate, every action is guided by love.
I feel at home in the kitchen now, but arriving at a place where cooking feels like lila — divine play — took time and practice. I know not everyone shares the joy of cooking. For some, the kitchen carries difficult memories or frustrations. Food sometimes holds challenging emotions and associations. Trying new recipes, tasting unfamiliar flavors, or risking a food waste can feel daunting. I get it.
Yet cooking can be playful, joyful, and endlessly creative — even if past kitchen mishaps have left you believing you’re someone who could ‘burn water.’
This recipe is meant to be a welcoming place to begin.
The main ingredients will give you a delicious stew, and from there you can let your imagination guide you. Add a few optional spices to brighten the flavor, or keep it simple and comforting. Don’t worry about following the list too closely — if you’re missing an ingredient, substitute or skip it. No carrots? Try turnips, parsnips, or even peas. Only have brown lentils instead of French green? Perfectly fine. Spinach instead of kale? Lovely. Feeling inspired to give it a Mexican twist with black beans and rice? Go for it.
Your soup doesn’t need to follow rules. It only needs to carry your intention — a little creativity, a little care, and perhaps a touch of joy, accompanied by mantra.
Creative & Meditative Sweet Potato Stew
Base Ingredients
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons oil, butter, or ghee
1 onion, chopped finely
1 or 2 carrots chopped into ½-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, seeds discarded, sliced into short strips or chunks that will fit on a spoon
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced or put through a garlic press
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ cup French green lentils, cooked – directions below
4 cups veggie stock (cans, carton, bouillon cube or paste, or homemade are all fine; you could even use water in a pinch)
1 can coconut milk
1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
salt and pepper
Optional Creative Spices
Would you like a little extra flavor? Try one of the flavor profiles below. The garnishes, like most everything, are all optional.
For Indian flair:
3-inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and minced or grated
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon madras curry powder
Garnish with plain yogurt if you like
If you’re in the mood for Mexican flavors:
1–2 cans diced green chilis
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
optional 1 diced jalapeno, seeds removed, if you’d like some heat
Garnish with cilantro, sour cream, and/or cheese if you like
If you are keen on a Thai flavor:
1–2 teaspoons green Thai curry paste (the little jar of Thai Kitchen brand, found at nearly any grocery store, is very user friendly and not fire-hot like more authentic brands)
juice of 1 lime
3-inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and minced or grated
Garnish with cilantro, mung bean sprouts, and/or peanuts if you like
Do you want to make your soup spicy hot?
If you’d like to add some heat to any of the versions above, use: ¼–½ teaspoon cayenne, red pepper flakes, or chili pepper. Start small. You can always add more spice but you can’t take it out.
Directions
Centering
Begin by pausing. Breathe deeply and feel your body arrive in the present moment. Sense your feet on the ground, the steady support of the earth beneath you. Let yourself feel into that connection. Then, bring to mind all the hands that made this meal possible: the farmers and harvesters, the agricultural workers, the truck drivers, the grocery clerks who stocked the shelves and greeted you at checkout, the people who built and maintained the farm machinery, the workers in canning and packaging plants, and countless others who offered their time and energy to bring these ingredients to you. Offer them your gratitude. Thank the sun, the soil, the rains, and the cycles of nature that sustain us all.
Intention
Set a clear intention to infuse your soup with love. You might say softly to yourself: “I am love, and I infuse love into this meal.” Repeat your mantra as you cook, letting it guide your movements. Each time you stir, move clockwise, imagining love radiating from your heart into the pot, filling the food with warmth and care.
Cook the Lentils
Bring 2 cups of water to a gentle boil. Add the French lentils and let them simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring now and then as you repeat your mantra, until they are somewhat tender but still “al dente”. Drain and set aside. (Cooking the lentils separately ensures they soften properly, as salt in the soup can sometimes prevent them from cooking through.)
Make the Soup
In a large soup pot, warm oil, butter, or ghee over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until they turn translucent, about 5–7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, then add spices, cooking for another minute as you repeat your mantra:
“I am love, and I infuse love into this meal.”
Pour in the stock and coconut milk, then add the cooked lentils, carrots, bell pepper, and sweet potato. Let the soup simmer gently — not quite a boil — until the vegetables are tender but still vibrant, about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally, each time with intention and mantra. Add the kale, and continue for a few minutes more, until the kale is wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Closing
Before serving, pause once more. Speak a final mantra over the finished soup, blessing it with your love and gratitude. Then serve and enjoy.
My wish for you
May you feel joy in the kitchen.
May your meals be infused with love.
May you and your loved ones be nourished, always.
Namaste,
Maureen
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