Smoky Sweet Potato Soup w/sour cream and jalapeños



This soup makes good use of the large hambone left over from a smoked ham cook.


Makes about 4 quarts of thickish soup. The combination of smoky, sweet and hot, smoothed by the creaminess of the sour cream and highlighted by its sour note is one of my favorites. If you don't have a ham bone, 2 ham hocks would be a good idea and ham base could work too. Especially with the base, keep it on the light side so as to keep the sweet potato prominent.


2 slices bacon, chopped

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

1 apple, peeled and diced

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 sprig of fresh thyme, leaves stripped, or 2 teaspoons dried

1 small bay leaf

5 or 6 large sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered

Light chicken stock mixed 50-50 with water - to cover by 3 or 4 inches

A sprinkling ground white pepper

1 ham bone, or 2 ham hocks, or ham base; keep the base light)

A very light dusting of allspice

Just a little ground chipotle powder

Salt


Garnish:

Sour cream, 1 heaping tablespoon per portion

Minced fresh or drained pickled jalapeños, about .5-1 teaspoon per portion


In a soup pot large enough to contain the ham bone, preferably horizontally, sauté the bacon slowly to render the fat. Remove the bacon.

Add the butter to the fat in the pan, and then add the onions and apple. Cook until softened, about 7–8 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant but not at all browned, about 1 minute. Add the thyme and a small bay leaf. Stir.

Add the sweet potatoes, chicken stock, and water (again, a 50-50 mix) to cover by 3 to 4 inches. Add a little white pepper.

Submerge the ham bone in the pot and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for an hour or so. Remove the bone, bay leaves, and fresh thyme sprig, if used.

Stir in a pinch or two of allspice and optional chipotle powder into the hot soup for just a hint of background heat and chile flavor.


Purée the soup in batches in a blender (or with a hand blender, or force through a chinois) until very smooth.

Reduce soup, if desired, for a thicker soup, or add a little stock to thin it. (I like it somewhat thick, like a bisque or chowder.) Adjust salt and white pepper.

Serve in coffee mugs (offer spoons) or bowls, garnished with a dollop of good sour cream and a sprinkling (1/2 to 1 teaspoon) of minced fresh or drained pickled jalapeños.

This sounds ridiculously good! I'm a huge fan of sweet potatoes and this will be made very soon! Thanks Kevin!

Kevin, what kind of apple do you use for this?

I use a good cooking apple, usually a Granny Smith, Pippin or somewhat unripe Honeycrisp or large Mac. Any will do, really, but avoid the mealier ones like ripe Delicious (less-than-ripe is okay) or similar.