Sweet Potato Soup with Ginger and Lime
There is a Caribbean beat to this sweet potato soup, which you can make as thick and bisque like as you wish. Consistency here is determined by the amount of milk you add. Use more or less, to your taste. The finishing touch of grated lime zest brings a burst of flavor to the soup-more than its delicate appearance suggests. At Mangia, citrus, both juice and zest, is used as a powerful flavoring agent.
Ingredients
- 8 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of unsalted butter
- 8 cups of water
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 stick cinnamon 3 inches long
- 2 cups of whole milk or less if desired
- 2 tablespoons grated lime zest for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake the sweet potatoes in the oven for about 1 ½ hours, or until soft. Remove and let cool. When cool enough to handle, peel them. The skin will come off easily with your fingers. Set the pulp aside.
- Peel, trim, and chop the garlic.
- In a large heavy pot, sauté the garlic and ginger in the butter over very low heat (so that the butter will not burn). Pour in the water and bring it to a boil. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon stick and boil over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Discard the cinnamon. Let the mixture cool.
- In a food processor, puree the baked sweet potato pulp with the water and ginger mixture. Add the milk gradually, adjusting the thickness to taste. Adjust the seasonings.
- Transfer the puree back to the soup pot and reheat just to the boiling point. Serve the soup in bowls and garnish with a sprinkling of lime zest.