Roasted Sweet Potato and Garlic Soup

We eat a lot of sweet potatoes at my house.  The root vegetable is incredibly versatile and has a wonderful flavor and texture that everyone loves.

I like to make this soup when the weather starts to turn cold.  It is very simple to make but has loads of flavor.  The addition of cream near the end is not essential, but I think it takes this already delicious soup to another level.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds organic sweet potatoes, scrubbed and peeled

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1 head of garlic

4 cups unsalted homemade chicken bone broth or low-sodium boxed chicken broth

3 tablespoons heavy cream

2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground paprika

freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup chopped cilantro or flat leaf parsley

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut peeled sweet potatoes into quarter wedges. Lay in a single layer on a heavy baking sheet lined with foil.  Brush wedges with the oil and sprinkle 3 tablespoons of water around the pan.

3.  Peel the papery skin off the head of garlic, keeping the head in tact.  Place on a sheet of foil and wrap loosely, pinching the top of the bundle tightly.  Place wherever you can find space on the baking sheet.

4. Place the baking sheet in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the sweet potato mashes easily with a fork.  Remove the sheet from the oven and set aside to cool for 25 minutes.

5.  Roughly mash the sweet potatoes and add to the bowl of a food processor.  Take each clove of garlic and squeeze the pulp into the food processor bowl, careful not to get any paper in the bowl.  Pulse several times to get going, then run until the sweet potatoes and garlic are well pureed. 

6.  Keep the motor running and slowly pour in the chicken broth.  You may use more or less depending on how thick you like your soup, but it should be perfectly smooth.

7.  Add the soup to a medium heavy saucepan and heat over medium heat.  Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.  Whisk in the cream, salt, pepper, coriander, and paprika.  Stir in the lemon juice and simmer for another minute or two.

8.  Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with the cilantro or parsley.  This makes a good amount of soup - leftovers can be refrigerated for up to a month.