Spicy Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup

Here in Richmond, fall and cold weather are upon us. One of the few things I like about cold weather is the good, warm, comfort foods. And, soup is definitely one of those warm, comforting foods. I came across this recipe when looking up different types of soup recipes. I like sweet potatoes, carrots, and spicy foods so how could it go wrong? Well, it didn't. I very much enjoyed the smokiness of this soup, and hope you do too!

Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 ribs celery, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 c white wine
1-2 tsp chipotle powder
1 quart vegetable or poultry broth
1 1/2 lb garnet sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1 inch chunks
1/2 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch lengths
1/2 c whole milk
salt and pepper to taste
Yogurt and/or Cilantro optional

First thing I did was gather up the vegetables and peeled and chopped them. I ended up using a pound of carrots, because I wanted to get rid of all the carrots. I did not cut the carrots into strips. I just chopped them up roughly. I'm not certain I understand the point of cutting the carrots into strips. Oh well. Also, I just used any ol' sweet potato I found at Martin's. I have no idea if they were Garnets.

Next, I took a soup pot, and over medium heat, warmed the olive oil. Then, I threw in the chopped celery and onion. Also, add the minced garlic and thyme. Stir the ingredients until the veggies are soft. It says it takes about 10 minutes, but I think I waited about 15. I then proceeded to open myself a bottle of wine, and pour myself a glass. Oh, and I measured out a half cup of the wine and poured it into the pot along with the chipotle powder. Now, I have no idea where you find chipotle powder, but I did find Chipotle Chili Pepper at Kroger. So, I used about 1 1/2 teaspoon of this pepper. I am pretty sure it's similar, and maybe it's exactly what the recipe called for. If you happen upon chipotle powder, please let me know.

Anyway, cook until the alcohol smell dissipates. Then, add the chicken broth, (or vegetable broth) carrots, sweet potatoes, and the salt and pepper. Bring this to a boil and simmer until the vegetables are soft. I believe it took about a half hour for this to happen.

You are supposed to cool the soup and then transfer the soup to a blender and puree in batches until the soup comes out smooth. However, I just pureed it immediately, and placed a towel over the blender, and made sure I was very careful. As I worked, I put the pureed soup into a bowl. Once the soup has been pureed, transfer back to the soup pot and add the milk. Continue seasoning with salt and pepper until it tastes about right. I also added a bit of cumin and nutmeg. I did not garnish with yogurt nor cilantro as the recipe indicates.


(Click here for printable recipe)