I have often been disappointed with potato and sweet potato soups that turn out very thick like overly-wet mashed potatoes. While I love mashed potatoes, sometimes I want a smoother, more soup-like consistency, like a thick broth with things floating in it. The trick to achieving this is to add the sweet potato to the soup pot after the water has been boiled and let the pot stand without heat for 20 minutes before continuing with the recipe. After pureeing, the result is an amazing silky, smooth soup.
I kept the ingredients for this soup very simple — just leeks, sweet potatoes, and water. To dress it up a bit, I made a lower-fat pesto sauce using soft tofu (rather than the traditional nut and oil-based paste) to swirl into each bowl just before serving.
Make the pesto sauce while the sweet potatoes are resting and everything will be ready to serve at the same time. You will find the pesto recipe and instructions after the soup recipe.
makes 4-6 servings
2 small or 1 large leek, white and light green parts, cleaned and sliced
1.5 kilograms or 3 pounds orange sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
8 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
makes 1 cup
1 - 2 cloves garlic, peeled
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup soft or silken tofu
1 Tablespoon gluten-free tamari
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
1 packed cup fresh Italian parsley, small stems and leaves
To your health and happiness,
Beans and Rice