Sweet Potato Leek Soup

TOTAL TIME

45 minutes
  • INGREDIENTS
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cups chopped leeks, white part only (4 to 6 leeks)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, in 1-inch dice
  • 1 1/2 cups milk or half-and-half
  • Salt and ground white pepper
  • 1 tablespoon minced cilantro leaves for garnish

PREPARATION

1.
Melt butter in a heavy saucepan. Add leeks, and sauté slowly over low heat until tender but not brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic.
2.
Add sweet potatoes and 3 cups water. Simmer about 20 minutes, until tender. Purée.
3.
Return purée to saucepan, add milk or half-and-half, bring to a simmer, add 1 to 1 1/2 cups more water to make soup no thicker than heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a dusting of cilantro.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

1 washed sweet, skins on.
1 teaspoon olive oil, butter, peanut oil, or bacon grease
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Slather sweet potato in oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until soft all the way through, about an hour. Simple pleasures.