Sweet Potato & Ginger Soup With Apple-Mint Raita

Submitted by evelynathens

"By Eva Katz, from Fine Cooking, issue #55. This recipe is wonderful, and a great start to a holiday meal. I have also enjoyed this, cooled, in summer."

 

• Ready In: 55mins
• Ingredients: 18
• Serves: 4-6

ingredients

• For the soup

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 ounce fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced (1/2-inch chunk)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1⁄2 fresh jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, and left whole
• 2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 4 medium)
• chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream (optional)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• fresh ground white pepper

• For the raita

• 1⁄2 cup plain yogurt (nonfat or low-fat)
• 1⁄2 apple, peeled, cored, and finely diced (such as Gala or Pink Lady)
• 1⁄4 cup chopped of fresh mint
• 1⁄2 teaspoon finely minced fresh jalapeno, more to taste
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

directions

1. Make the soup: Melt the butter in a soup pot over low heat. Cook the onion in the butter, stirring occasionally, until very soft but not browned, 10 to 13 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and cardamom and cook for another minute. Increase the heat to high and add the jalapeno, sweet potatoes, 4 cups of the broth, and the salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are very soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. In a blender, purée the soup in batches until very smooth. Rinse and dry the pot and return the puréed soup to it. Add the remaining broth and the cream, if using, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add the lime juice and brown sugar, and season with salt and white pepper to taste.
3. Make the raita: While the soup is simmering, combine the yogurt, apple, mint, and jalapeño in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. To serve: Ladle the soup into individual bowls and add a dollop of the raita.

Reviews

[SarahCKS]

I also made just the soup with this recipe. A couple changes, I increased the amount of ginger, cardamom and lime juice to punch up the flavor. I enjoyed this soup quite a lot.

 

[eillena]

This was a very good soup. I'm not a huge fan of sweet potatoes but I really liked it. It has a great silky smooth texture. I didn't make the raita - just the soup. thanks for the recipe!