Spicy Sweet Tater Soup

Also, I lied. 

Or, at the very least, I forgot that I actually had made two soups, one more solid than the other, and tucked the recipes away but never blogged about them. So here's to the last recipe I made months ago and never posted. I think.

Back story: Winter in Maryland was pretty rough (though not as ridiculously ice-cold as it was then in NYC), so one Sunday evening in January I decided to make two pots of soup, one tomato, one sweet potato.  

The tomato soup wasn't my favorite (maybe because I didn't have all of the ingredients I needed), so I'll save that post for when I've found The One. But the Spicy Sweet Potato Soup? Incredible. Below you'll find that recipe.

Kitchen Tip: I found it really convenient to then pour in a serving of the soup into quart sized freezer bags to thaw throughout the winter for a quick lunch or dinner. I also figured out a cool trick: freeze them laying flat; this way you can stand them up in your freezer like little files or folders-- this is also helpful since it lets you sneak them in between other bulkier items. Just sayin. It worked for me.

Spicy Sweet Potato Soup 

Adapted from Allrecipes  

Liner Notes: I love this soup. The spiciness is right up my alley, the sweetness isn't cloying, and the starchiness just makes this the perfect comfort on a cold night (extra warm because of the chipotle I added). 

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 Tablespoon butter

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, sliced

4 cups of chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

approximately 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

juice of 1 lime

2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro

salt, to taste

my addition (and why I love this soup): a heaping spoonful of chipotle pepper and adobo sauce

Directions

1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for approximately 5 minutes, until just softened.

2. Add sweet taters, chicken stock, cumin and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. 

3. Once boiling, reduced to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes, until taters are soft. 

4. Puree the soup in batches using a blender.

5. Return soup to pot, whisk in peanut butter and heat through. 

6. Add in lime juice, salt, and chipotle pepper and adobo sauce.  

7. Ladle into bowls, top with a bit of cilantro, and enjoy the hot, spicy warmth as it takes you over.