I like to save one sweet potato from the autumn garden and suspend it in a hanging planter with enough water and a little fertilizer touching the bottom. Eventually the tuber produces vines with edible leaves and makes for a fun climbing houseplant. 

When harvesting the sweet potatoes, we usually find a fair number of nice sized, but weird shaped potatoes. These funky specimens get peeled and diced for one of our favorite chilly day soups: vegetarian sweet potato pear soup. 

This soup is a winner when seasonal sweet potatoes and pears hit the market.

The recipe originally called for measuring the carrot and celery. I did away with that. A little less, or more, of any ingredient is OK. That’s what makes soup so versatile. Taste as you go along.

Sweet potatoes give texture, a sunny color and a pleasant earthiness to the soup. The pears? Well, they lend a subtle hint of additional sweetness.
Since the soup is pureed before serving, you can go smooth or a bit chunky. Your choice. 

Add a drizzle of maple syrup and lime juice and get ready to serve seconds! 

Sweet potato pear soup 

Ingredients

3-4 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, diced, or 2 leeks, diced

1 small carrot, peeled and diced 

1 small rib celery, diced

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 

2 pears, peeled and diced

1/4 teaspoon or so dried leaf thyme (if using fresh, go with a several 2” sprigs)

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

5 cups vegetable broth plus extra if needed

1/3 cup or so whipping cream

1 generous tablespoon or so pure maple syrup, plus extra if needed

Juice of one lime, plus extra if needed

Salt and pepper 

Instructions

Melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook until fragrant, a couple of minutes.

Add sweet potatoes, pears and thyme and cook a couple of minutes.

Stir in paprika and broth. Bring to boil, lower to simmer and cook until potatoes are soft. 

Puree until smooth. Return to pot.

Add cream, maple syrup and lime juice. Simmer 5 minutes or so. 

If soup is too thick add a bit more broth. 

Season to taste, adding more seasonings if you like. 

Make up to 2 days ahead.

Tips: 

Make it vegan

• Sub in vegan “butter” for butter, and full fat coconut milk for cream.

Swap it out

Sub in chicken broth, apples, and sweet Spanish smoked paprika.

Storing sweet potatoes – skip refrigerator

• Refrigeration lets sweet potatoes last longer but they may develop a bitter taste and hard spots in center. 
• Keep sweet potatoes in cool (between 50 and 60 degrees) place away from bright light. We store ours in the attached garage. 
• It’s OK to store sweet potatoes with other potatoes for up to a couple of months or so.
• Wait to wash sweet potatoes until you’re ready to use them. Moisture on skin may cause molding or rotting.