Sweet Potato Soup

As you may remember reading on a previous post, Cole and I enjoyed this luscious soup at Rooster's in Charlotte. 

I have been craving it ever since, and here is my home recreation. I used this recipe for Creamy Sweet Potato Soup as a base and my version is below.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbsp (1/4 stick) butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 small celery stalks, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 5 cups)
• 4 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth 
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1 cup milk
• 4 Tbsp maple syrup
• Marshmallows and spiced pecans for garnish

METHOD

1 Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and celery and sauté for about 7 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes.

2 Add sweet potatoes, chicken stock, cinnamon stick, and nutmeg; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

3 Remove cinnamon stick and discard. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return to pot.

4 Add half and half and maple syrup and stir over medium-low heat to heat through. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool soup slightly. Cover and refrigerate soup and celery leaves separately. Bring soup to simmer before continuing.) Ladle into bowls. Garnish with toasted marshmallows (broil on high for about 2 minutes) and spiced pecans (saute pecans in butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon). 

Maybe not as good as Rooster's, but pretty darn close! It was good the first night, but extra yummy the second day, so I would recommend making it a day ahead. Also freezes well!