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| Sweet Potato Vichyssoise |
I
don't know when, where, or how this recipe idea came into my head, but I
do suspect why. This summer started sweaty, and suspect that may have
had something to do with it! But what sane person is all "yeaaaah,
sweet potatoes cold!" Can you think of any other one thing that is a
regular and also cold sweet potato based dish, because all I'm coming up
with are things that are not good served cold: sweet potato casserole,
sweet potato fries, baked sweet potatoes, soups, etc. You get the idea.
As a disclaimer, I'm really not a huge fan of the humble, servicable
pot-a-toe. I appreciate it. I'll eat them, sometimes.
Thanksgivingtimes. The same goes for things with cream included. But
I've grown increasingly fond of throwing sweet potatoes into things, and
rather like them. And I did really want a cold soup that wasn't a
gazpacho. Good thing I'm not sane though, amirite?!?
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| Where it all starts: the glamorous kitchen sink. |
Somehow, somewhere, sometime in July, while probably lying in my bathtub for my 10th freezing shower of the day, inspiration struck: what about a cold soup with something I like - sweet potato? In fact, as I started to explore options and do research to find out if it would be possible (I really hate wasting food), I was surprised that not too many sources had tried something like this. My only two solid leads were Marcus Samuelsson and Design Love Fest. It may have taken way longer to actually get around to making this soup, but it was worth it when I did, and I'm glad that I've got enough frozen that I can defrost and easily make a quick lunch or dinner of it. I'm fairly certain it'll taste pretty good hot, but why mess with a good thing? 
It's filling, mild to spicy, and easy to adapt as you want. I really loved it with a garnish of scallions, a dash more of cayenne, and a hearty dash of soy. Consider this your base, and get creative for other iterations of it (chipotle? peanuts? WHY NOT), or with toppings. I've already been mentally cooking up version 2.0. We're getting close to the tail end of it, so why not try this lovely orange hued soup during the dog days of summer in September?
Notes: I planned to freeze and keep it, so I immediately ruled out using cream, despite it being a vichyssoise; cream just gets disgusting when frozen and defrosted. Nobody wants to eat baby vomit! This mostly vegetarian (if you use vegetable stock, or 100% vegan if you use oil instead of the butter) recipe does freeze and keep well.
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| First blend: Sweet Potato Vichyssoise |
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| Second blend: Sweet Potato Vichyssoise |
Recipe:
