Vegetarian Recipe: Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

We wanted to make a great, smooth, hearty soup that was full of vegetables and had a complex flavor. Above all, we wanted it to be incredibly simple to throw together. That's why we decided to use sweet potatoes. 

For a good, creamy sweet potato soup, we wanted to make it simple, and have a little bit of a kick. Adding just a few red pepper flakes added a nice amount of heat without overpowering the dish.  A bay leaf and a cinnamon stick boiled in with the potatoes and vegetable broth really helped out the flavor. We've seen some recipes include added sugar or maple syrup, but really there is no need. The potatoes are sweet enough on their own. For a great garnish, however, add some cubed apples. Keep reading below for this great recipe...

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 small celery sticks, chopped
• 3 medium sweet potatoes (about 1lb) peeled and cubed
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (plus more for garnish)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Cubed apples for garnish

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, saute the celery and onion in oil until tender. Add the remaining ingredients (except the apple) and bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. reduce the heat and keep the soup at a simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
3. Discard the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Cool slightly, then process the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. return to a pan and heat through. Serve in bowls with garnish.
4. Enjoy!

Side Recipe: Baked Sweet Potato Fries

There's something irresistible about sweet potato fries. And on the surface, you'd think choosing them over ordinary fries would be a major win for your health. Unfortunately, frying can destroy most of the nutritional value you'd otherwise get from those lovely orange veggies . It turns an otherwise perfectly respectable vegetable into something that's more junk food than root.

We wanted to make sweet potato fries that weren't only delicious, but weren't loaded with fats. Deep-frying was out of the question. Instead, we decided to bake the sweet potato fries with only a few extra seasonings. The result was a somewhat sweet fry that could easily stand as a side or a snack on its own. The seasonings were subtle enough, however, that the fries could be covered with a condiment or sauce and still taste delicious.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

(makes 2 servings)

Ingredients

• 2lbs sweet potatoes cut into fry shapes
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2. Mix together the coconut oil, honey, rosemary, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the sweet potato fries and toss to coat. Remove the sweet potato fries with a slotted spoon and arrange on a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
3. bake until tender (about 45 minutes). turn the oven up to 450F and bake until browned (about 15 minutes).

Bourbon-Infused Side Dish: Mashed Sweet Potatoes

If you're looking for a side dish that goes beyond your standard roasted vegetables or regular mashed potatoes fare, look no further than the sweet potato! This orange root makes for a perfect sweet undertone to a hearty meal.

While the potato alone is a delicious side, we wanted to flavor it just a little more to make this a side dish people will be asking for again and again. It turns out that the perfect seasoning for your mashed sweet potatoes may just be in your liquor cabinet: bourbon. Unlike other recipes, we didn't cook the bourbon out of these potatoes. Instead, we added the bourbon with the butter right before mashing. It added a great bitter, yet delicious taste to the potatoes that mixed perfectly with the sweetness from the brown sugar and vanilla. Keep reading below for this fantastic side recipe...

Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes

(makes 6-8 servings)

Ingredients

• 3lbs garnet sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
• salt
• 3 to 4 tablespoons bourbon
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Place the potato chunks in a large pot and cover with water. Add a tablespoon of salt to the water. Boil until tender (about 15 to 20 minutes).
2. Drain the cooked sweet potatoes and return them to the pot on the stove. Lower the heat to low. Add the bourbon and the butter to the pot and stir. Add the brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, and vanilla extract and stir. Mash with a potato masher until smooth.
3. Enjoy!

Family-Friendly Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole

Here’s another dish that’s great for family get-togethers that will have people clamoring for the recipe. A mix between savory and sweet, this double-duty casserole can be served as a side dish and also satisfies a sweet tooth. Also, if you feel like simplifying things, go ahead and use canned sweet potatoes/yams; it saves time and tastes just as good. After trying this, you’ll be racking your brains for more ways to use those delicious sweet potatoes!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients

(Serves 10-12)

• 2 lbs. sweet potatoes, 5-6 medium sweet potatoes
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup evaporated milk (low-fat optional)
• 2 eggs
• 
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

For Topping: 

• 1 cup pecans
, chopped
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 2/3 cup brown sugar

• 1 stick unsalted butter, cubed
• 
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Butter a 9x13 baking dish
3. Place sweet potatoes in a large pot of water and boil until tender. Allow to cool and remove skin. Dice into 1-1 ½ inch cubes
4. In a large bowl, mix or mash potatoes and add sugars, evaporated milk, eggs, butter, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Mix well and pour into baking dish.
5. In a medium-sized bowl, combine all “Topping” ingredients. Mix well to make sure everything is incorporated. Spread topping evenly on top of sweet potato mixture.
6. Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and crispy. Optional: place under broiler for 30 seconds until top is bubbling. Allow 10 minutes to cool and serve hot.