Preheat oven to 425  degrees F.

Pierce sweet potato several times and place on oven rack. Roast until just fork tender 35 to 45 minutes. Set aside to cool enough to handle, remove skins and dice into 1/2″ dice. Set aside.

In the meantime, add bring 2 1/2 cups water and quinoa to a boil, cover, reduce temperature to a simmer and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Rinse and drain.

In a large Dutch oven, heat pot over medium-high heat, add the oil and when hot, the carrot and onion and 1 teaspoon of salt. Saute until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, coriander, and turmeric and cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, a minute or two. Add the stock and bring to a simmer.

Add in the cooked quinoa, the pork or chicken and the sweet potatoes. Add the lime juice, then any additional salt and the white pepper to taste. Garnish with cilantro and serve with additional lime if desired.

Notes:

• Sweet Potato: After the sweet potato is baked you’ll want about 2 cups of bite-sized diced, about 1/2″ so judge accordingly
• Chicken/Turkey: Any cooked chicken or turkey will do for this soup, leftover is fine. If you don’t have cooked chicken, drizzle a chicken breast or two with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake in a 375-degree oven until done about 20 to 25 minutes.
• Pork Shoulder: It is potentially difficult to make only 3 cups of pork shoulder as it needs to cook for such a long time. Either use leftover pork shoulder or plan to make and use the rest of it for another recipe. Season the pork butt generously with salt and pepper. Place the pork in a roasting pan, cover with foil and roast until tender, at least 4 hours. Dice the pork and reserve three cups for this soup. Set aside the remaining pork for another use.