Description
A creamy and comforting Sweet Potato Soup infused with warm cumin and garnished with crunchy flatbread strips or other toppings, perfect for a cozy meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauté Base
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter (or more oil)
- 2 onions, diced
- 2 leeks, white and pale green part only, quartered and sliced into 1cm pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
Main Ingredients
- 1 kg / 2 lb sweet potato, peeled, quartered lengthwise, cut into 2cm chunks
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1.25 litre / 1.25 quarts chicken or vegetable stock, low sodium
- 1.5 tsp cooking / kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Finishing
- 1/3 cup cream (any type) or an extra knob of butter
Garnishes (optional)
- Extra virgin olive oil, cream, yogurt, or sour cream for drizzling/dolloping
- Crispy flatbread strips, croutons, pistachios, pepitas, or crispy fried shallots for crunch
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat the extra virgin olive oil and melt the unsalted butter in a large heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add the diced onions, white and pale green parts of the leeks, and chopped garlic, cooking for about 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Add Sweet Potato and Spices: Add the peeled and chopped sweet potato chunks and sprinkle the cumin powder over them. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring regularly to coat the sweet potatoes with the spices and aromatics.
- Simmer the Soup: Pour in the low sodium chicken or vegetable stock, then season with salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and continue cooking uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the sweet potato pieces are very tender and easily pierced with a fork.
- Blend Until Smooth: Remove the pot from heat. Using a handheld stick blender, blend the soup directly until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, let the soup cool 10 minutes and blend in batches in a high-powered blender, being careful with the heat by covering the lid with a folded tea towel to prevent splashes. Return blended soup to the pot.
- Finish with Cream: Stir in the cream or an extra knob of butter to enrich the soup and give it a silky texture. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve with Garnishes: Ladle the soup into bowls and finish with a drizzle or dollop of extra virgin olive oil, cream, yogurt, or sour cream. Add a sprinkle of something crunchy such as crispy flatbread strips, croutons, pistachios, or crispy fried shallots for texture contrast.
Notes
- Leeks: Use only the soft white and pale green parts. Wash thoroughly by cutting the leek lengthwise (keeping root intact), then rinsing under running water to remove grit.
- Stock: Chicken stock adds deeper flavor, but vegetable stock is a great vegetarian alternative.
- Garnishes: Flatbread strips can be fried or baked for crunch. To fry, cut into strips, curl, and fry in hot oil for 20 seconds until golden. To bake, spray with olive oil and salt, then bake at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) for 10-13 minutes tossing occasionally. Croutons and nuts also add delightful crunch.
- Blender option: For smoothest texture, use a high-powered blender like Vitamix or Blendtec, blending in batches after cooling soup somewhat. Stick blender is easier and effective too.
- Storage: Leftover soup keeps well refrigerated for up to 4 days and freezes beautifully.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: 337
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 749mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 26mg
