They say necessity is the mother of inventions… and let me tell you, last Tuesday night soup was a necessity for me! It was cold and rainy and I had just come from a terrible class. After class, I went to the grocery store and intended to buy potatoes for my favorite soup in the whole wide world… but forgot until I got home. That’s what happens when you don’t write things down on your grocery list, at least in my world. There was no way I was heading back into the nightmare that is a grocery store in a college time after a school break, nosireebob. My sweet husband offered to go out in the cold and the wet for those potatoes, but I didn’t want him to have to do that. But I still wanted that soup… so I improved. And thus, this soup was born. One day, when it is all grown up, I can tell it the tale of it’s birth on a cold, dark November night… but for now, I can just enjoy it in its infancy.

This is a top-notch savory sweet potato dish, folks. Forget all notions of Thanksgiving’s sweet potato casserole smothered in brown sugar or marshmallows [fact: I've never eaten sweet potato casserole with marshmallows... it's brown sugar topping for me all the way!]. This sweet potato soup is subtly sweet, with just a hint of sweet via the nutmeg and the star of the show, the sweet potato itself. This soup is rich without being heavy, but is warm, chunky, and cozy–everything a hearty soup is destined to be, is called to be, can be.

How’s that for a introduction? Can you tell that I’m enamored with this soup, that I’ve been eating it gladly for days straight, that I haven’t dished leftovers into tupperware to freeze for future lunches for my husband? I hope you can, because I’m not sure how else to sum up my feelings about this soup. Amazing!

Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 7 cups sweet potato, roughly peeled and chopped [for me, this was 2 large]
• 1 cup carrot, diced [2 medium]
• 3/4 cup onion, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 12 ounces fat free evaporated milk

Directions:

Combine sweet potato, carrot, onion, and chicken broth in a large stock pot and cook over medium heat until the sweet potato is soft [hint: the smaller the pieces of sweet potato, the faster it will cook... and stir constantly or you may end up with a not-so-nice layer of crusty potato at the bottom of your pot...whoops!]. Mix in sage, basil, pepper, and nutmeg, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and then add the milk, stirring constantly until fully combined. Simmer for at least 15 minutes or until heated through.

Click here for the printable: Sweet Potato Soup

Question of the Day: What has been your latest invention? Doesn’t have to be food-related at all! Please share in the comments