Description
This Sweet Potato Soup is a creamy, comforting dish made by simmering sweet potatoes with aromatic onions, leeks, and garlic, then blending smoothly with cream for a luscious texture. Enhanced with warming cumin and garnished with crunchy toppings, this soup is perfect as a flavorful starter or a light meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter (or more oil)
- 2 onions, diced
- 2 leeks (white and pale green parts only, quartered, cut into 1cm / 1/2″ slices)
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 kg / 2 lb sweet potato, peeled, quartered lengthwise, cut into 2cm / 0.8″ chunks
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
Liquids and Seasonings
- 1.25 litre / 1.25 quarts chicken or vegetable stock, low sodium
- 1.5 tsp cooking or kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/3 cup cream (any type) or an extra knob of butter
Garnishes
- 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 olive oil and melt the butter in a large heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add the diced onions, quartered leeks, and chopped garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables soften and become fragrant.
- Add sweet potatoes and spices: Stir in the sweet potato chunks and cumin powder. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring regularly to coat the potatoes with the spices and allow the flavors to meld.
- Simmer the soup: Pour in the low sodium chicken or vegetable stock. Add the salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are very tender.
- Blend until smooth: Remove the pot from heat. Using a hand-held stick blender, carefully blitz the soup until it reaches a smooth, creamy consistency. Stir in the cream to enrich the soup.
- Garnish and serve: Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle with your choice of yogurt, cream, or extra virgin olive oil. Top with crunchy garnishes such as pistachios, crispy flatbread strips, or croutons for texture contrast.
Notes
- Note 1: Use only the white and pale green parts of the leeks to avoid bitterness.
- Note 2: Low sodium stock is recommended to better control the saltiness of the soup.
- Note 3: Flatbread strips add a delightful crunch and complement the creaminess of the soup, but croutons or nuts work equally well.
- Note 4: If using a blender instead of a stick blender, cool the soup slightly before blending in batches to avoid splattering.
