Sweet Potato Soup
On a cold autumn or winter night, a nice warm soup is the perfect warming food. And this delicious Sweet Potato Soup definitely fits the bill. It has been a holiday tradition in our family for years. And this hearty Sweet Potato Soup was also a favorite at our pot-luck Friends-Givings in Seattle for many years. The recipe was shared with my mom by an old Danish family friend, Inger Koedt, who passed away last year at 106 years old.
Inger was an amazing role model for our family on how to live a healthy, happy life. Well into her 100s she could be found hiking or cross-country skiing in the Tetons of Wyoming almost daily! We recently attended Inger’s celebration of life. And so many inspiring stories were shared about all the lives Inger impacted for the better. This included sheltering over 30 Jews in her basement and helping them to escape during World War II, before she immigrated to the US.
So we’re looking forward to making Inger’s Sweet Potato Soup this Thanksgiving. And we’ll be giving thanks for her wonderful examples of how to live life well: always pay it forward, help others whenever you can, laugh a lot, and live a healthy life.
Sweet potatoes are packed with nutrients and are on Jonny Bowden’s 150 Healthiest Foods list. They got a bad rap with the low-carb craze, but they actually have some terrific health benefits.
Health benefits of sweet potatoes
- high in fiber
- anti-inflammatory
- packed with antioxidants
- loaded with vitamin A
- high in potassium
- excellent for fighting cancer
So enjoy this Sweet Potato Soup. And toast “Skoal” to Inger for her amazing compassion for others, and for living a healthy, long life!
As a side note, originally the recipe was called “Yam Soup”. However, what we consider “yams” in the US are actually a different variety of sweet potatoes. Yams grow mainly in Africa and Asia and are hard to find in the US except for specialty stores.*
Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 8 cups sweet potatoes, diced and steamed (wash well or peel as you'll use the steaming water in the soup)
- 2-3 cups apple cider
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1 TBSP curry powder
- 1 TBSP dry thyme or rosemary
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 3 TBSP gluten-free tamari (soy sauce)
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
- olive oil for sautéing
Instructions
- Scrub or peel sweet potatoes and dice into small cubes.
- Steam the sweet potatoes and purée in Vitamix or blender with the steaming water.
- Add apple cider to achieve your desired consistency (thicker or thinner).
- Sauté together in olive oil: garlic, onion, curry powder, dry thyme, or rosemary.
- Blend sautéd spices with some soup liquid, then mix together.
- Add white wine and tamari
- Garnish each bowl with toasted slivered almonds
I hope you enjoy this delicious, healthy soup as much as we do! Leave a comment to let us know who you served it to and if they were clamoring for more or for the recipe too!
