sweet potato soup

I feel so bad I haven't been able to post very much lately! The reason for that is that I am absolutely up to my eyeballs in homework... especially Music Appreciation homework. Eeehh... I haven't even really been able to bake, unfortunately. But dinner? There is always time for dinner, especially when I'm the one making it! Which isn't often, since my mom is the designated cook, but I do love it every once in a while. :) So last time I decided to make dinner was less than a week ago, and I was absolutely obsessed with How Sweet It Is' Loaded Baked Sweet Potato Soup. I saw it and I told myself, "I need to make this. NOW." And I did! May I say, you also need to make this? Like as soon as humanly possible? It is out of this world delicious.

I didn't follow her recipe exactly because hers made enough for 4 servings, and I have a family of 5. Who eats like a herd of starved buffalos. So I had to add in stuff and make it picky-little-brother-friendly and it was a huge success. We all loved it, and we usually don't even go for soup! This recipe is seriously amazing, easy, and easily customizable. You can make your basic soup and offer as many traditional or fancy toppings as you want, it's so great. I also couldn't resist taking this picture of these beautiful autumnal colors that all end up in the soup!

Look at all those colorful vegetables and all the vitamins and minerals they have, just waiting for you to take advantage of. The bright orange sweet potatoes are full to the brim with vitamins A and C, which are valuable in the fall and winter when it gets cold and you're trying to prevent getting a cold. But I'll hush now, nobody cares too much about nutrition. Hahah. :) On a slightly unrelated note (and going back to an earlier point), if you haven't visited Jessica at How Sweet It Is, you need to STAT! Her blog is busting at the seams with yummy treats (and real food), and I will openly admit I creep her blog daily. I can't even help myself. Some recipes inspired by hers on my blog include chubby snickerdoodles, crispy shrimp pizza, Bailey's cookies, and Oreo crunch cookies. But check her out, she is brilliant. I think now it's time for me to shut up so you can go ahead and make this soup already! It's perfect!

Sweet Potato Soup
Adapted from How Sweet Eats
Yields: 6 generous servings

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 small golden potatoes, peeled and cubed (I tried to make the same amount as sweet potatoes)
1 tbsp butter
2-3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed through a garlic press
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (you can also combine and do all chicken or all veggie, I bet!)
1 cup skim milk
salt, garlic salt, and pepper, as needed
Optional: sour cream, cheese, and bacon bits for garnishing

Wash your potatoes thoroughly, peel, and cube them, and place them all in a microwave-safe bowl. Fill the bowl with hot water so that the potatoes are barely covered. Nuke in the microwave for 10-15 minutes, until fork-tender. The sweet potatoes seemed to get soft before the yellow potatoes, so make sure you test both.
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat, and add in the butter and olive oil. Once the butter is melted, add in the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until slightly soft and almost iridescent. Add in the garlic, cook for a minute or two, then add in the flour.Whisk continuously to create a roux, and cook this for a couple minutes, till golden and delicious-smelling!
Now, add in the potatoes, broth, and milk, along with your seasonings. Let this cook at a simmer for the next 20+ minutes, stirring often to make sure the potatoes don't stick to the bottom of the pot. The potatoes will break down further during cooking, but you are more than welcome to crush them more as they cook to thicken the soup.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls, and have your garnishes ready for everybody to personalize their soup.


P.S. If you're disappointed today's recipe isn't a dessert, do not fear! I DID make a dessert last night, so I am being optimistic and hoping to post all about it tomorrow. :)