Leek & Sweet Potato Soup

The thing I like about soups is that they are flexible. Unlike many cakes and desserts that are unforgiving if you don't accurately follow the recipe, soups are flexible and allow you to add your own creative flair.

As the weather grows cooler, soups are also a nice, hearty food to fill your belly. They are also an opportunity to pack a lot of nutrients into one bowl.

This week I pulled all the leeks from my garden and decided to make a batch of leek & sweet potato soup. My theory is that when making soup, you might as well make lots, because it takes virtually the same amount of time to prepare no matter the quantity. In this case, I froze half for a cold winter night and the other half we had for dinner that same day. Many soups actually taste better the next day, after the flavours have had time to blend.

Here's what I put in the soup:

3 lbs of sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium red onions, diced
4 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced thin
1 litre plus 1 cup of chicken broth
2 stalk of celery
3 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp of butter
1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper

In a large pot, sauté the onions, leeks and garlic in the butter, about 10 minutes, until soft.

Add the diced sweet potato, celery and chicken broth to the pot, bring to a boil, then simmer until the sweet potato becomes soft, about 25 minutes.

Add chopped parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. A dash of cumin works, too, though it is not necessary. Stir together. Scoop into a blender and purée until smooth.

Once puréed, return to pot and reheat, if necessary, or allow to cool before freezing. The soup is ready to eat now, but the beauty is that you can also dress it up more. Coconut milk, milk or cream added at the end add nice flavour and make it creamier, but it is good just like this. Also, by increasing or decreasing the amount of leek and onion you put in, you can make the soup sweeter or with a bit more bite. I personally like to go a little heavier on the leeks. Enjoy!