Roasted Sweet Potato Soup

This morning I walked down my basement stairs and lo and behold I found the container I was keeping my sweet potatoes in.  I forgot I had them.  They were all perfectly usable so I made this soup.  It is delicious.  I must admit that I do not care for sweet in my savoury and I was a wee bit apprehensive when I read the maple syrup ingredient.  I actually followed this recipe as pretty much as written and it worked!

Simmering before the blend!

Ingredients:

• 5 medium sweet potato(about 2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 6 cups  Chicken Broth
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into cubes (about 1 cup)
• 1/3 cup maple-flavored syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 tablespoons light cream(optional)

Step 1

Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork. Microwave on HIGH for 8 to 13 minutes or bake at 400°F. for 1 hour or until they're fork-tender. Cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out potato pulp and set aside.

The finished product!

Step 2

Heat the butter in a 6-quart sauce pot over medium heat. Add the onion and celery to the sauce pot and cook until they're tender. Add the broth and potato. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until the potato is tender. Add the maple syrup, white pepper and reserved sweet potato.

Step 3

Place one third of the broth mixture into a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Repeat the blending process twice more with the remaining broth mixture. Return all of the puréed mixture to the sauce pot. Add the cream, if desired. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is hot. Season to taste.

Note:  I use a stick blender and added just a bit more chicken stock to think it out a bit.  

Recipe courtesy of www.campbells.com