From our kitchen to yours

Anneliese Abney

I think it’s fast becoming clear that I’m currently really into soups. I have a sneaking suspicion that it has a lot to do with the weather we’ve been having. Plus, I may have mentioned that my roommate is the soup-cooking queen. In any case, she and I are both really in love with Anna Thomas’ book Love Soup, which is where we’ve adapted this recipe from. It’s very delicious and just spicy enough to clear out those stuffy mid-winter sinuses.
What you need:
3 lbs sweet potatoes
2 small yellow onions
1/2 a medium celery root
sea salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter (unsalted) – this can easily be replaced with another tablespoon of oil if you’d like a vegan soup
1 Tbsp dried sage, crumbled
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 cups broth (use Better than Bouillion – or, if you’re feeling adventurous, try making your own!)
cayenne pepper
2-3 Tbsp yogurt (optional)
Note: if you have access to a stick blender, it’ll make your life lots easier when making bisques.
What to do:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wash the sweet potatoes, place them on a baking sheet and poke a few holes in them with a fork or pierce with a knife.
Roast the potatoes for approximately 1 hour, until soft and oozing a little syrup.
Allow them to cool a little, then peel and cut into big pieces – if they are super soft, you can also just scoop the insides out with a spoon.
Chop the onions.
Peel and finely dice the celery root – make sure to wash this guy well if dirty!
Put the celery root in a soup pot with 2 1/2 cups of water and a tiny pinch of salt, then simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes.
Heat the oil and butter in a skillet and sauté the onions with a pinch of salt over medium heat.
When onions are soft and turning golden, add the sage and continue cooking, stirring often, for another 10 minutes or so.
Add the roasted potatoes and caramelized onions to the pot along with the broth, the balsamic vinegar and a pinch of cayenne.
Simmer the soup over low heat, covered, for about 10 minutes.
Allow the soup to cool a little, then puree it in a blender or food processor in batches – or use a stick blender – until it is completely smooth.
Adjust the seasoning as needed – salt, cayenne or maybe some pepper? – then stir in the yogurt, if you’d like a thicker bisque.
Voil…! You’re ready to eat. Serve it up with some toasted nuts as a garnish or with a hearty chunk of bread – we really enjoyed ours with a Pecan-Raisin loaf from Zingerman’s Bakehouse in Ann Arbor – and kiss those winter sniffles goodbye.
Serves 6-8. Guten Appetit!