Description
This Sweet Potato Soup is a comforting and velvety dish perfect for cozy meals. Made with sweet potatoes, aromatic leeks, and a blend of spices, it is simmered to tender perfection and finished with a creamy texture and crunchy garnish for a delightful contrast.
Ingredients
Base Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter (or more olive oil as preferred)
- 2 onions, diced
- 2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, quartered, cut into 1cm / 1/2″ slices
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
Main Ingredients
- 1 kg / 2 lb sweet potato, peeled, quartered lengthwise, cut into 2cm / 0.8″ chunks
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1.25 litre / 1.25 quarts chicken or vegetable stock, low sodium
Seasoning & Finishers
- 1.5 tsp cooking / kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/3 cup cream (any type) or an extra knob of butter
- Something to drizzle or dollop: extra virgin olive oil, cream, yogurt, or sour cream
- Something crunchy: flatbread strips, croutons, pistachios, pepitas, or crispy fried shallots
Instructions
- Sauté aromatics: Heat the extra virgin olive oil and melt the unsalted butter together in a large heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add the diced onions, sliced leeks, and chopped garlic, cooking for about 5 minutes until the mixture is softened and fragrant.
- Add sweet potato and spices: Add the peeled and chopped sweet potato chunks and cumin powder to the pot. Cook for another 3 minutes while stirring regularly to coat the potatoes with the spices and aromatics.
- Simmer soup: Pour in the low sodium chicken or vegetable stock and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then let it cook uncovered for 20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are very tender.
- Blend the soup: Remove the pot from heat. Using a handheld stick blender, blitz the soup until smooth and creamy. Stir in the cream or an extra knob of butter to enrich the texture.
- Garnish and serve: Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle with your choice of yogurt, cream, or extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with a crunchy element such as pistachios, crispy flatbread strips, croutons, pepitas, or fried shallots for added texture and flavor.
Notes
- Note 1: Use only the white and pale green parts of the leeks for the best texture and flavor.
- Note 2: Choose low sodium stock to control the salt content in the soup.
- Note 3: Crunchy toppings like flatbread strips, pistachios, or crispy shallots add texture contrast to the creamy soup.
- Note 4: If using a blender instead of a hand blender, allow the soup to cool slightly before blending in batches to prevent splattering.