Sweet Potato Soup

I know the title of this recipe is “Sweet Potato Soup” but to be honest, I kind of want to call it a “bisque”. Now I’ve never had bisque (of any kind) but as I was making this soup it felt kind of bisque-y. It’s comprised of a few simple ingredients but it’s so rich and filling that it doesn’t quite fit my idea of soup. However, traditionally the term “bisque” refers to a soup that is thick, creamy, and typically made with a shellfish based stock. Thus, for posterity it will be called a soup but in my mind I’ll refer to it as “Sweet Potato Bisque”. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, on to the recipe!
Ingredients
4 lbs sweet potatoes
1 qt water
2 cups beef stock (low sodium)
2 cups chicken stock or broth (low sodium)
1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger powder
salt
black pepper
Directions
As with sweet potato pie, roasting the sweet potatoes instead of boiling them results in a lot more flavor. Rub the sweet potatoes with oil, place them in a pan, cover with foil, and bake in a 400 degree oven until fork tender. Allow the sweet potatoes to sit for a while until they are cool enough to handle.
Remove the skins and for a smooth soup, run the sweet potatoes through a food processor or blender. Place the pureed sweet potatoes in a stock pot. If the sweet potatoes released any liquid while roasting and it didn’t burn, add the liquid to the pot as well. Next add the stock(s)/broth, spices, and seasonings and stir until well combined. The sweet potato soup might still be a bit overly thick at this point. Add water and stir until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Heat the soup over a medium flame until the first bubbles begin to appear. Taste the soup at this point and adjust the seasoning if needed. Lower the flame and allow the soup to simmer until it is properly warmed through. Serve hot in soup bowls and optionally garnish with roasted meat.
The soup can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the meat garnish and using vegetable stock instead of beef or chicken.
Approximately 8 servings
Tags: dinner, food, recipes, vegetables