Janice's Moroccan Sweet Potato Soup

First of all, I have to apologize for all my recipes because they're cryptic and convoluted. I'm also sorry for all my pictures, which seem brown and ugly. And I'm alsways compensating for things I don't have so there are too many variations. For example in this I used this "Wildly Delicious" spice blend I had in 2001, and I know spices have a shelf life but it still tastes and smells so good that I haven't throw it away - it's called "Spice Rub for Indian Cooking." But this soup was so delicious I wanted to add it despite all these things. So this is my recipe, combined from a couple. I made this in the slow cooker but you can do it on the stove.  

1 sweet potato, diced

1 granny smith apple, peeled and diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

2 shallots, sliced (I use these for their mellow flavour - it's oniony but not as sharp as other onions. If you don't have shallots, I'd use a red onion)

2 tbsp chopped ginger - or grate it on a grater and use the juice and everything, or just slice some big hunks of ginger and throw it in, and remove them before you puree the soup later, or just put in 1 tsp or so of ground ginger

1 tetra pak of chicken stock

Spice rub for Indian cooking - add these things instead: 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp cloves, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp coriander, 1/8 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp cumin

1/2 cup of dried sundried tomatoes (not the ones in oil), sliced/chopped. 

salt and pepper

1/2 can coconut milk

As garnish: fried chickpeas with same spice blend. 

Since it's a slow cooker, you can throw in everything up to the sundried tomatoes and coconut milk, and just walk away for 3 hours. If not, you would cook the onion, etc on the stove and simmer it until the potatoes are cooked. Once it's cooked, you puree it (I have a hand blender too, so I just put it into the slow cooker and pureed it there). Then you add the sundried tomatoes and coconut milk and heat it until the tomatoes are plump.

I used to think that I didn't like chick peas, but if you fry them they are actually awesome. So I add a bit of oil to a frying pan, drain and rinse the chickpeas, and add them with some spices - throw them on top of the soup to serve.