Sweet Potato & Ginger Soup

This is a recreation of a soup I was served at a wonderful restaurant in downtown Greensboro, NC. The sweetness of the sweet potatoes combined with the fragrant ginger, earthy cumin, and spicy cayenne give this soup a deep flavor with multiple levels of warmth. If an immersion blender is not available, soup maybe be blended in a regular blender in small batches.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 60 mins
• Calories: 226 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup sour cream
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 10 slices nickel-sized slices fresh ginger

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat oil in a heavy stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute until garlic begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir vegetable broth, sweet potatoes, ginger, cilantro, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and ground black pepper into onion mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.

Step 2

Remove stock pot from heat and blend soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt and ground black pepper as necessary. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.