Sweet Potato, Corn and Jalapeño Bisque

I don't know about your pantry, but mine is stuffed to the gills with root vegetables these days. Turnips and rutabagas and celery root and, most of all, sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes upon sweet potatoes upon sweet potatoes. My farm is churning them out at an alarming rate. And while I'm grateful for my winter CSA, I find myself quite daunted at sheer number of knobbly roots knocking around my crisper drawer, my butcher block, my waking hours. Coming up with ways to get rid of them has become my winter sport.

But I don't have the stomach for complicated recipes these days, for exotic ingredients, or a lot of new bottles to crowd my cupboards. I'm in the mood to use what I've got, to be resourceful and sparing, to purchase little that I don't truly need (pomegranate molasses, I'm looking at you). So when the NY Times published a recipe for a sweet potato soup a few weeks back for which I needed to purchase only one extra ingredient, a jalapeño, I felt like it was divine providence.

And wouldn't you know, I made this recipe not once but twice in one week. It may be hard to believe, but that's the first time in the history of this website that I've ever done such a thing. This soup is good. Not only good, but cheap. Not only cheap, but fast. Not only fast, but healthy. Okay, I'll stop now. But I like it; I really, really like it.

Imagine, sauteed onions and a pile of cubed sweet potatoes, cooked until soft in some stock. Then a quick blitz with an immersion blender and the pot fills with a swirling, creamy, orange puree. In goes a shake of cinnamon, a glug of inky molasses, a spoonful of rusty cayenne, a shower of minced jalapeño and the rat-tat-tat of frozen corn hitting hot liquid. The flame heats the soup pot for a few minutes longer while you salt and pepper to taste. Pull out the soup bowls, the silver spoons, a few slices of bread. Slice a quick handful of green onions or parsley, as I did, for a grassy bite, and drop them into the soup. Dinner is ready.

And what a revelation it is. The first spoonful of soup is sweet and mellow and then comes the heat, just the right amount, from the jalapeño and the cayenne. Warming and bright, it provides a little spot of sunshine in a run of cold months. It takes less than half an hour to make from start to finish and makes me feel endlessly resourceful as I eye my dwindling stash of sweet potatoes. I wish satisfaction always came this easily.

Sweet Potato, Corn and Jalapeño Bisque
Serves 2 if that's all there is for dinner, or 4 as a first course

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds total), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 medium jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Scant pinch ground cinnamon
Finely chopped scallions, green parts only, or minced parsley

1. In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until just soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and stock and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender or a food processor, purée contents of pot, in batches if necessary, until smooth.

3. Reheat soup, stirring in jalapeño, corn, molasses, salt, cayenne, black pepper and cinnamon. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve, topped with scallions or parsley.

Comments

[jenny]

I've totally been eying that squash pie, but you have seriously derailed me by posting this soup. and you say it's quick, too? that may be the deal-breaker ... yummy!

[mary]

Fast, cheap, *and* good? That's what I like to hear. It sounds so satisfying, and maybe I could make an excuse to turn on the oven if I make cornbread to go along side...

[Laura]

I think the molasses is really unique in this. I thought I had tried nearly every variation on sweet potato bisque but clearly I have not. Into the to try pile it goes....

[sixty-five]

I will definitely try this one. I've had a recent soup epiphany after reading Kenny Shopsin's remarkable "Eat Me". You know about Shopsin's, right? The 900-item menu? At one point he listed over 300 soups, all made from scratch, and all taking less than 5 minutes from stove to table. His general approach (which is similar to this one, which is why I'm mentioning it) is to think of a soup as a saute of fresh ingredients which is then deglazed by the liquid or liquids involved (stock, cream, etc). Liberating!

[meleyna]

This reminds me a lot of Szechaun carrot soup off of epicurious. Sweet from the carrot and peanut, with just enough warmth coming up from behind from the ginger and hot pepper flake. And who doesn't love a bowl full of pick-me-up orange after weeks of tasty but drab braises and stews?

[ovenhaven]

Fast and delicious sounds like a great combination for me! Thanks for sharing this. The fact that you've had it twice in a week speaks alot! :D

[rachel]

Great.

goodness, i love your blog and your recipes. You have a real knack of making it all sound so honest unpretentious and good (or not so good if thats the way it was)
I love your stripy top the photo.

you may be the Wednesday chef but reading you on mondays is my favorite,

[Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)]

How did we ever make soup with the immersion blender? I used to think of myself as a pretty good soup maker, but once I got a blender, I think my soups elevated to a whole new level -- especially soups like asparagus, broccoli, squash and, yes, sweet potato.

[Adrienne]

Wow, this is making me wish I had a glut of sweet potatoes... I might just have to go to the store, instead.

[Julie]

What a recommendation. I think I'll walk over to the market during my lunch break and pick up sweet potatoes. Tomorrow's weather is supposed to be cold/wet/snowy -- a perfect day for soup.

[michaela]

i have a plethora of ruatabagas from my share. any suggestions?

[Nosheteria]

Mmm, I'm always looking for new soup recipes. They seem to be the only thing that I want to make, and in turn, eat, this season. Thanks for trying out a winner for me.

[ben]

"In goes a shake of cinnamon, a glug of inky molasses, a spoonful of rusty cayenne, a shower of minced jalapeño and the rat-tat-tat of frozen corn hitting hot liquid."

that wonderful sentence is what has convinced me to make this soup as soon as i can get my hands on some sweet potatoes.

[Leah]

Did someone say rutabaga? Try this soup! I made it today (sans blue cheese) and it is divine - smooth, silky, and a little bit sweet. And it's easy to make!
http://www.canadianliving.com/food/carrot_potage.php

[redmenace]

Lovely! I wish I had a pantry full of root veggies.

[gastroanthropologist]

Thank you! I'm swimming in root veg and a basket full of sweet potatoes. I love a little heat in my soups too.

[Sylvie]

Now that sounds just brilliant. We're having another cold spell, after it seeming a little more spring like last week, so this seems like the perfect antidote.

[Cory]

I normally don't like sweet potato or squash soups because they tend to be so sweet. The jalapeno might add the flavor I've been missing. Thanks, Lulu.

[Rebecca]

This sounds great--I always just bake the sweet potatoes, and by this time of year, I'm bored! Thanks!

[Serena]

se riesco a trovare tutti gli ingredienti provo a farla anche io! Ieri ho fatto risotto al radicchio e stasera Kürbiscremesuppe mit Ingwer :) BACI

[kathryn]

What a lovely, lovely soup. I do like the addition of molasses and cayenne. We're in the middle of summer and 30+C temperatures, so soup is a long way off. But I'm bookmarking this for later in the year.

[Selba]

What a nice combination of soup!

[Sonja]

I love your enthusiasm! Your lively depiction of the soup has made me really hungry!

In Japan where I am living right now there they have a whole lot of different types of sweet potatoes, most of which I have not really tried for cooking yet - so your recipe is a very welcome opportunity! Adding a pinch of nutmeg might be nice, too...

[Stephanie]

I made this soup last night and it was very good, but sooooo thick. I ended up adding another cup of broth and it was perfect. It was very cold here last night and today, so this will be perfect. A little crushed tortilla chip on top was perfect.

[Abby @ mangerlaville]

I love cheap velvety soups. Sounds wonderful. I love your description of mollasses "glug."

[klp]

I made this last night, and I agree that it was quite thick. I stuck to the weight requirement of the sweet potatoes, instead of using 3 medium-sized.

Regardless, it was VERY delicious. The sliced green onions on top were perfect. I was skeptical of the molasses, but it added a lot of depth to the soup and I only used a heaping teaspoon. I will definitely add this to the rotation. It might also make a nice chilled soup in the summer.

[Luisa]

Stephanie and KLP - the first time I made it, I also found it rather thick. I just added a few spoonfuls of water to thin it out. The second time I made, it was just right. Eyeballing the potatoes as "medium-sized" probably makes each batch just a little bit different.

[Lauren]

The best thing to do with turnips ever - cube and boil them in salted water until they're tender... then drain them and put them back on the stove at med/low heat and put a splash of cream a dollop of sour cream some shredded gouda or smoked gouda cheese in and a chopped roasted seeded jalapeno in and puree with a stick blender until they're a creamy consistency. then just salt to taste. ITS AMAZING!

[Susann]

Funny - the Washington Post published a similar article in 2006, with a doubled-in-size version of the recipe.
I made it and loved it, too.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/21/AR2006032100331.html

[Luisa]

Susann - wow, how interesting. Same subject, same recipe... I find that a little frustrating - couldn't the NY Times have at least chosen a different recipe to publish? I'm glad to know this soup comes from Commander's Palace; thanks for the link.

[Treehouse Chef]

This recipe looks absolutely delicious! Great for a winter storm like we are experiencing here in the south!

[Hallie]

Wow this soup seems perfect for me. I have to try it. YUM!

[RenaissanceTrophyWife]

This sounds fantastic. I've been making soups lately since the BF is sick, and this is jumping to the head of the line!

[Scott at Realepicurean]

That's a really original but delicious sounding soup - I'd love to try it!

[Jayne]

Just made it deeelish, used maple syrup as I didnt have molasis, I also roasted the frozen corn..very tasty

[Sylvie]

I love sweet potatoes, that bright cousin of morning glory. How do I eat them? In soups; roasted and sprinkled with a little cumin or thyme (talk about fast, easy, cheap & healthy); glazed with a little maple syrup; stewed with lamb - or beef - and LOTS of fresh ginger. Which I should make and post about in a few days, since I have stewing beef defrosting and just a few good sweet potatoes left from the fall garden harvest. A good way to enjoy those last home-grown roots. Unlike your farmer, I have not learn to store them properly (actually, I am storing them properly. I did not cure them properly)

I'll have to try your/NYT/WP soup: looks very spite with the jalapenos and corn kernels. Sounds good too with the "rat-tat-tat of frozen corn hitting hot liquid".

(The other) Sylvie

[Ashley]

Wow! That's a gleaming review - looks great!

[Laura]

I made this soup last week & have since fallen in love with it: http://www.clovesandcream.com/2009/01/spiked-sweet-potato-soup.html.

It was such a treat!

[Emily]

So delicious, even with yams when Whole Foods is sold of out sweet potatoes.

[Rose-Anne]

I just discovered this blog and my mouth has not stopped watering since I started reading. . . divine!

[Claudia Haas]

Jealous that someone cannot make soup because it is too warm out! But in Minnesota, soup reigns (even if we have climbed from minus 20F to finally above freezing). Have everything (but the sweet potatoes!) which is easily remedied. Can never have too much soup. Thanks for posting this and I am just discovering your lovely blog.

[Absolutely Not Martha]

This recipe appears to be gluten free. I feature a gf recipe on my weekly links and would love to include this one (if that's ok with you). Beautiful blog. Would you like to exchange links?

[elise]

Made the soup today, and ate it tonight. So quick to make and so delish.

[DD]

Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmm!

[Aude Lagorce]

I made this wonderful soup over the weekend, but had to usher in a minor adjustment, as just as I opened the freezer to get the sweet corn, I realized I didn't have any. What I had, however, were small chunks of lamb left over from your lamb-shank ragu recipe of many years ago (which I made for friends over the weekend). So in went the lamb chunks instead of the corn. It was delicious and perhaps even a little more filling, which was welcome as it was our main dish. And yes, the proportions are perfect for two.

[Heather]

I made this last week - it was wonderful and so fragrant. I used chipotles en adobo because I had them on hand instead of jalapeno....just lapped it up. The molasses is absolutely the "secret ingredient" here.

[Ella]

I just made this - yum! For a twist, I added the juice of one lime and served it with chopped cilantro. I used two quite large sweet potatoes that weighed about 1.25lbs - I couldn't imagine using more because it came out to be the perfect consistency with the same amounts of the other ingredients. I also left the skin on - pure laziness but it doesn't matter once it's pureed.

[klp]

I made this again last night, and stuck to size of the potatoes, instead of the weight. The texture was MUCH more bisque-like, after a minor mishap with the immersion blender. (Cuisinart is sending a new one, but a smoking hand blender was very frustrating when all we wanted was delicious soup!)

Thanks again Luisa!

[Susan in VT]

Great recipe. I used more stock, 3 large sw. potatoes, and generally more of everything to make a big potful of soup for a bunch of soup lovers. It's very fast to make.

I had to adjust for the northern New England palate -- a quarter of a jalapeno and no cayenne (don't have any). We're tough as nails about winter but wimps at the table!

We topped generously with BOTH chopped parsley and scallions, and this recipe is going into my top ten soups. Thank you, Luisa!

[Flamethrower]

i've never been a big sweet potato fan, but this looks delicious!