The sweet potato soup I stole off Mario at Craftbar a few posts down was so yummy I was inspired to find a recipe and make it myself (also, I finally got myself an immersion blender and have been itching to use it).

Sweet Potato Soup

This came out sooo well! I know it’s hot now and no one really wants soup, but you must make this ASAP! The texture was fabulously smooth; if velvet could melt in your mouth, it would feel like this soup.

Recipe and tips after the jump:

Not only is this soup delicious, it is easy to make (as are most soups, as I’m discovering). Start by sautéeing chopped onion in butter. When these are done, add sweet potatoes (cut into large chunks), chicken broth, thyme, curry powder, and maple syrup. In place of the broth and syrup I used water and honey, since unfortunately I had neither in my pantry at the time. I imagine the broth would have added a more savory background flavor, while the syrup would have had more depth than the honey. Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for an hour.

While that’s going, you can make the rum cream garnish, which was an interesting addition to the soup. Simply combine whipping cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, and dark rum and whip the cream until stiff peaks form. You can refrigerate it until the soup is ready.

After the soup finishes its simmer, the sweet potatoes should be nice and tender. This is the part where I got to play with my new blender, but if you don’t have one, let the soup cool a little and puree it in batches in a regular blender. BE CAREFUL! Hot liquids in a blender create extra pressure and can cause a very un-fun kitchen explosion. Return the blended soup to the heat and season with salt, white pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. I was a liberal with the seasonings and I also added some cinnamon because I remember tasting a note of it in the Craftbar version.

The photo above is garnished with the rum cream, but when I had some leftovers the next day, I remembered my suggestion of a bacon topping. WOW. I was right, the sweet/savory combo was fantastic. Craftbar should take note of that one!

Sweet Potato Soup with Rum Cream
from Southern Living/myrecipes.com

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 8 cups

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 medium-size sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (1 3/4 to 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 fresh thyme sprigs or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch ground red pepper
Rum Cream
Garnish: fresh thyme sprigs

Preparation
Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add onion, and saute until tender. Stir in chicken broth and next 4 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until potato is tender. Remove and discard thyme sprigs. Cool slightly.

Process mixture in batches in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Return to Dutch oven, and stir in whipping cream and next 4 ingredients. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly heated. Serve with Rum Cream; garnish, if desired.

Rum Cream

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/8 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum

Preparation
Beat all ingredients at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.

Southern Living, NOVEMBER 1998