sweet potato soup

For a vegetarian or vegan version, use ingredients in italics as noted. This soup could also be made using 2-3 cups leftover mashed sweet potatoes, adjusting liquid for texture.

4 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon EACH salted butter and olive oil-Use all olive oil for vegan version.
Tiny pinch crushed red pepper
Medium yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon EACH chili powder and kosher salt
½ teaspoon EACH fresh ground black pepper and ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2 whole cloves garlic, peeled
4 cups low sodium chicken broth-Use vegetable broth for vegan/vegetarian version
1 cup water – or more as needed
2 very large sweet potatoes- peeled and cut into 1/2" - 1" pieces – about 1 ½ pounds
½ cup half and half-Use coconut or other non-dairy milk for vegan version
½ cup popped popcorn, salted and peppered- for garnish
¼ cup pepitas, plain or seasoned- for garnish

Instructions

In a 5-6 quart pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat butter is melted. Add crushed red pepper, let cook a few seconds, and tip in the onion. Sprinkle with the chili powder, salt, black pepper, ginger, and cumin; stir and let cook 5 minutes or until softened. Add whole garlic cloves and cook another minute or two. Pour in broth and water, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly; add diced sweet potatoes. Cook uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 150 degrees F and place soup bowls on a center rack to warm.
Purée soup in pot with an immersion blender or carefully in batches in a blender or food processor. This can be a thick mixture that can bubble up, pop, and burn you, so add more water or broth to thin soup as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings, remembering you're about to add half and half, which will dumb down the spices and heat. Stir in half and half and warm through. Taste and adjust seasonings for a last time. Serve hot in warm bowls garnished with a few kernels of popcorn and pepitas. You might try other garnishes such as a small dollop of sour cream, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, candied pecans, crushed tortilla chips, chopped salted peanuts, or freshly fried and seasoned croutons.
Store tightly covered in the refrigerator 3-4 days. Freeze for 3-4 months WITHOUT the half-and-half. Thaw, heat, and add half-and-half when you're ready to serve.

Notes

If your sweet potatoes refuse to purée with the immersion blender, mash them well with a potato masher and try again. Using a regular blender or food processor might eliminate that problem or you could just cook them a little longer.