Sweet Potato Chili Soup

Sweet potato chili soup garnished with fresh lime, radish, avocado, cilantro, green onions, and jalapenos.

Hi Foodie Besties!

It is soup season! I can’t tell you how excited I get for soup once there is a slight chill in the air. But, I must confess…I love soup all year. If it is warm in the area in the world you are from, try my cold cucumber soup.

This soup is soul warming and fun to play with. Make sure you taste as you go. This will guarantee a final product that is a perfect match for your taste buds, as we all have different flavors we love.

I am a chili fiend! I love them. The chilies are optional, but I highly recommend them as they add a depth of flavor. Using fresh chilies is preferred, but if canned is only available in your region, then it is definitely a great ingredient to use.

I fire roast my chilies and leave just a little of the char on, as it adds a slight smokey flavor that I love.

Pureeing your onions will help bring out the onions’ sweetness and will add another layer of richness to your soup.

I used a variety of sizes for the veggies in this soup.

Celery. Cut to about 1/4 inch.

Carrots. Cut to about 1/4 inch thickness in rounds.

Sweet Potatoes. Cut about 3/4 inch thick cubes.

Roasted Chilies. Minced very fine.

You can use any variety of sweet potato in this recipe. I prefer the darker flesh of the sweet potato, but yams could also be used.

Sweet potatoes are a member of the morning glory family and native to South America. Ranging from dry and starchy, the colors could be pale to red or purple. The darker orange variety is rich in beta-carotene and is the most common variety in the United States. Sweet potatoes were named “yam” for a marketing campaign in the 1930’s.*

Sweet Potato

Yams are the starchy tubers of the tropical plants that are related to grasses and lilies. The yams that are typically sold in markets in the United States are actually sweet potatoes. **

Yam

5 Ounce Pasilla Pepper- Precooked weight

5 Ounce Hatch Chili- Precooked weight

4 Ounces or 1 Cup- Carrots- cut into rounds 1/4 inch thick

4 Ounces Yellow Onion- Puree

2 Ounces Celery- Diced 1/4 inch thick

1 Pound Sweet Potato- Cut into 3/4 inch cubes

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1/2 Teaspoon Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

2-3 Cups Vegetable Stock

1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

Spices to taste- Recommended Cumin, Garam Masala or Chili Powder

Prep your chilies

Over an open flame, place the chilies without any oil. You do not want to coat the chilies with oil as the oil will flame up and smoke. Once the chilies hit the flame they will start to pop and the surface will turn black. This is normal. Using tongs, turn the chili until it is black on all sides. Once the skin is entirely black, remove from the flames and allow to cool.

Once the chilies are cool to the touch, gently remove the skin and seeds. Chop the chilies into a fine mince that almost resembles a paste.

Preheat a large saucepan over medium heat. You do not want your pan too hot. Hold your hand about 6 inches from the surface from the bottom of the pan. If you can feel heat gently radiating from the surface it is ready.

Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and your onions. You do not want to hear loud sizzling or popping. If this occurs, turn down the temperature of your pan. We are looking for gentle and slow cooking of the onions.

Add the salt and sugar. Stir until mixed into the onions.

Allow the onions to cook very slowly until golden brown and fragrant.

Once the onions are golden brown, add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, carrots and celery. We are gently sweating the carrots and celery. You do not want to hear much sizzling in the pan. Cook until the carrots are just turning soft to the bite.

Add the chilies, sweet potatoes, vegetable broth and lime juice.

Taste. Does it need more salt? More lime juice? What spices would you like to add? If unsure of the amount of salt or if you want to play around with the flavor of spices, place a small amount into a small bowl and add the spices to taste before adding to the entire pot.

Simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender.

*McGee, Harold On Food and Cooking, The Science and Lore of the Kitchen; Scribner, 1984, 2004 pp.305

**McGee, Harold On Food and Cooking, The Science and Lore of the Kitchen; Scribner, 1984, 2004 pp.306