Spicy Sweet Potato Soup with Greens

Sweet-Potato-Soup with greens

Rainy autumn days like these call for this simple favorite of ours, packed with flavor from the fall garden. Make it with bacon, and you add a smoky-sweet note, or leave it out for a vegetarian version.  The cream is also optional, but it really mellows it all out and makes it amazing. In a pinch, it’ll make a perfectly respectable dinner without the cream.

If I were to alter this into a fully vegan version, coconut oil in place of butter would be my choice, and a bit of coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk to finish, or even pureed cashew cream if you’ve got it, would be amazing. 

This soup is really fantastic served with black bean quesadillas. Think tomato soup with grilled cheese, just the Southwest version. Mmmmm. 

Ingredients:

2 to 2.5 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 medium onion
4 slices bacon (optional)
3 garlic cloves
1/2 stick butter
2-3 cups of chopped collards, kale, spinach, or Swiss chard, without stems. Whatever you’ve got in your CSA box this week.
6 cups chicken stock (or substitute vegetable stock)
1-3 jalapenos, seeded, cored, and minced (to taste)
2 teaspoons cumin
1 cup cream or half & half
2-3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

  1. Chop onion, garlic, and raw bacon.
  2. In a large soup pot, melt butter. Add bacon, onion and garlic and jalapenos and sauté until onions are translucent.
  3. Add cumin
  4. Add  sweet potatoes and just barely cover with chicken or vegetable stock. Bring to a boil for about 10 min. or until sweet potatoes are soft.
  5. Add chopped greens and simmer until very tender (about 3-5 minutes)
  6. Using a potato masher, immersion blender, or regular blender in small batches, puree the soup until it’s as smooth as you like it. If it needs more chicken stock, add it now, a 1/4 c. at a time.
  7. Add the cream or half & half and salt and pepper. Stir well and heat through, but don’t boil.

Freezes wonderfully. Is fantastic served with black bean quesadillas

Serves about 6.