Light & Easy Sweet Potato and Apple Soup
In keeping with my foodie New Years resolution to make and consume more soup, here's an easy cream-less but extremely creamy version of Sweet Potato and Apple Soup. It's velvety smooth and really hits the spot on these frigid days. Perfect to come home to!
When I'm feeling lazy on the weekends and just want to take a break, I remind myself of just how nice it is to walk into the house and know that this soup is waiting in the fridge for me, moments away from being heated up and in my hungry tummy! That's what makes me haul myself up off the couch and into the kitchen to prepare a batch of this that can be enjoyed all the busy week long. I'm no dieting guru or anything, but I can tell you that if I keep this or any other "light" soup around, I will definitely be less tempted to stuff my face with unhealthy stuff when I walk into the house, stark raving mad with MUST EAT NOW as my reason for being! So, if you're trying to watch your calories (and let's face it, who isn't?) my advice is to keep soup like this around--maybe I can start a new trend or something!
And for all my weekend whining, this comes together in a snap. After you've sauteed the onion, you basically just toss everything in a pot and boil. Then when everything is all cooked down, it just takes a minute or so to puree the whole pot with an immersion blender, one of the few kitchen gadgets I really feel I couldn't live without (read this where I wax elegant on the subject and see if you can resist buying one after it--and I'm not even getting compensated for it- jeez!)
The soup is slightly sweet, from both the sweet potato and the apple with a little bit of heat from the pepper and so immensely satisfying. My husband loves this too, unfairly skinny man that he is, and I will definitely have to keep an eye on the last container in the fridge or he'll eat all the diet food and I'll be stuck with the lasagne--yikes, that could be dangerous!!
Light & Easy Sweet Potato and Apple Soup
Makes about 4-6 servings
Prep Time: 12 minutes: Cook Time: About 25 minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds (3-4) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 apple (I used a Pink Lady) peeled and chopped
2 cups chicken broth (you can also use vegetable broth to keep this vegetarian)
1 1/2 cups water (you may need more if soup seems to thick after you puree it)
The Recipe
1. In a large deep pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and saute for about 7-8 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the onions are tender.
2. Add the sweet potatoes, apple, broth and water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.
3. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup right in the pot. Add more water if it seems to thick and more salt and pepper if you like. Serve immediately or let cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
4. Soup doubles or triples very well and leftovers last covered and chilled for about 1 week.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from Real Simple. I left out the nutmeg and served this on it's own rather than with walnuts, sliced apple and blue cheese.
