Sweet Potato and Poblano Soup

This sweet potato and poblano soup is popular among DuChâteau guests and employees. The interplay between sweet and spicy provides excitement for the palate but makes the dish "comfort food" as well. This recipe is easy to make with a blender. I use a powerful Vita-Prep blender that creates a smooth texture. If using a blender with less power, straining through a fine-mesh sieve might be required if sweet potato or poblano bits are present after blending.

Ingredients:
1 small onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 fresh poblano peppers, cut into medium sized pieces
2 T. olive oil
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 qt. (32 oz.) chicken stock
Salt to taste
Chopped cilantro, toasted pumpkin seeds and/or Greek yogurt for garnish

Directions:

In a medium-size pot, sweat the onion, garlic and peppers in oil over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes until onions are soft but not browned.

Add the sweet potato and cover with stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. The sweet potato should be completely cooked through. Use a paring knife or fork to check doneness. It should pierce easily and not stick to the fork or knife. Remove pot from heat.

Pour ingredients into a blender until the pitcher is no more than 3/4 full. (You may have to blend in 2 or 3 batches.)

Start blending on a low setting and slowly move to a higher speed. Allow the soup to purée for 2 to 3 minutes. The purée should be smooth and have a bright, light green color.

You can adjust the consistency of the soup at this point. I like the soup to be on the thinner side and will add more stock or water until I achieve the desired consistency.  

Season with salt until the sweet and spicy aspects of the soup are noticeable. Garnish with chopped cilantro, toasted pumpkin seeds and/or Greek yogurt.

Chef Michael/DuChâteau
duchateau.com