The russet-skinned, orange-fleshed tubers can be a trifle too sweet for the spice loving lot. They’ve been dealt with in many ways, with touches of heat, hints of herbs and spices, but still it always seems like they’re just short of that one stroke of finesse. They’ve been sliced up into fingers, deep fried, sprinkled with salt, pepper and relished with liberal servings of sauces. They’ve been boiled to a mush and leavened with a potpourri of spices, dipped in floury batter and turned into koftas. And when they tumble into the Tadka kitchens, they’re baked, pureed and made into a snappy soup with just the right the trimmings of heat, spice and tang – a ripper of a recipe, needless to say..one that you’ll be sure to fall back on, season after turn of season.
Snappy Sweet Potato Soup
(Serves 4)
For the Puree -
2 Medium-sized sweet potatoes, washed and dried
1 Red bell pepper, washed and dried
1 Jalapeno
Salt, pepper to taste
Olive oil
Cut and place the sweet potatoes, red pepper and jalapeno on a baking sheet, sprinkle salt and pepper, drizzle some olive oil and bake in a pre-heated 375 F oven for 40-45 minutes. Be sure to take the jalapeno out around the 20th minute into baking, as it tends to get done faster. Once done, wait for the vegetables to cool off and remove the sweet potato skins. Puree everything in a blender, keep aside.
Souping up -
1/2 Tablespoon light olive oil
1 Medium-sized onion, finely minced
2-3 Pods of garlic, finely minced
1/4 Teaspoon each of paprika, cumin and coriander powders
A splash of vinegar
A 16 fl oz container of organic vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and more pepper to taste
Thick yoghurt for topping (optional)
Warm the olive oil in a pot and add the onion, garlic, fry until they cook down. Throw in the spices, saute for a minute or two, add the vinegar and allow it to cook for a few minutes. Then add the broth, whisk in the puree and simmer on a low flame for about 15 minutes. Serve when still warm with a dollop of thick yoghurt, and accompaniments like breadsticks, croutons, crackers or pretzels.
And our snappy soup is off to the -
Yummm… never tried sweet potato in soup… but it looks yumm.. i love the color!!
The color sure pops out, doesn’t it? Thanks, Spandana
Looks great! I have sweet potatoes sitting in the fridge and have been thinking what to do with them. This would be great. Especially with the weather getting colder!
Absolutely! Warm and comforting in the cold weather!
wow…sounds scrumptiously tasty…excellent clik..;)
Tasty Appetite
Thanks!
I love thespice in this soup, such a wnderful flavor! Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters
The spices lend a touch of zing to this one for sure! Thank you
The jalapeno kick in the soup will make it so tasty for me.
You bet!
ooh, I should make this. I’ve got this craving for sweet potatoes recently, and this would be perfect.
Ooh, we certainly hope you do!
What a lovely autumn soup, with a nice spicy kick! Thank you for sharing it with the Hearth and Soul hop.
Our pleasure, as always! So happy to hear you liked it!
And, sweet potatoes are so good for you too! Can’t wait to try your version of Sweet Potato Soup.
They are, aren’t they? This one packs a punch too! Thanks, Claudia, for coming by!
i love spice! But do you think that the heat in this is too much for a “normal” person to handle?
My hubby is alright with spice, but not too much.
The heat is tempered by the sweetness of the potatoes and bell pepper. Why don’t you start with putting in just a little piece of the roasted jalapeno (avoid the pith and seeds) in the puree and taste and add more to suit your heat level. Enjoy!
I really really liked it! The only problem was it was a bit thick for my Hubby
Adding some water or chicken broth helped! Thanks again for the recipe!!!
Glad it worked out for you!