sweet potato and chipotle soup

This soup really surprised me.  

I use to love hot and sour soup when I was sick.  It was my go to sick food until both Brad and I got food poisoning from out favorite Chinese take out in San Francisco.  My go to sick soup all of a sudden became my smell it make me sick soup.  I have come to a point where I will order it from other places but, I have not had the same relationship with hot and sour soup since that fateful day.  This may be my new go to sick soup.  There are only a few ingredients and the preparation and cooking are beyond easy.  I was shocked at how velvety smooth and rich this soup was.  It tasted as if there was cream in it.  The sweetness of the potatoes was perfectly offset by the smoky heat of the chipotle pepper.  I like heat.  I added chipotle hot sauce to kick it up a notch.  Brad added sour cream to take it down a notch.  We both liked it a lot.  I just made a second batch to have on hand in the freezer next time I feel a tickle in my throat.

sweet potato and chipotle soup

adapted: everyday food

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 medium sweet potatoes (2 pounds total), peeled and cut
• 1/2 chipotle chile in adobo, chopped
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until beginning to brown around edges, about 7 minutes. Add cumin and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in sweet potatoes, chile, and broth. Bring to a boil; reduce to a rapid simmer, partially cover, and cook until sweet potatoes can be mashed easily with a spoon, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Let soup cool slightly. Puree with stick blender until soup is smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Top soup with sour cream and serve with quesadilla/tortilla wedges, if desired.