Sunday Soup Day: Sweet sweet potato

Another Sunday, another soup. I'm starting to feel a little repetitive making soup each weekend. Some of that feeling comes from making orange-colored soups so frequently. I've done few squash soups and now sweet potato. I had to do something that would make this one different and set it apart from the rest, so I went for an extra sweet flavor.

I sauteed the onions for five minutes before adding the leek, onion, pepper and parsnip. Parsnips are similar to carrots, but have a more complex, sweet, nutty flavor. They're great in soup stock and pack seven grams of fiber in one cup (double that of carrots). You also get 40 percent of your daily requirement of vitamin K, a hard-to-get nutrient that researchers are realizing may improve bone health, which I need. Plus, I needed the extra sweetness, right?

I cooked all of the vegetables for five minutes then added the potatoes (both types). Soon after, I added brown sugar and maple syrup and let everything cook for another 20 minutes. I used a carton of Trader Joe's sweet potato bisque and some chicken broth (also Trader Joe's) for the stock and let simmer for 15 more minutes before serving.

The taste was sweeter than I had expected, but it still could have used even more sugary substances. The basil and parsnips gave it an earthy sweetness that couldn't have been replicated with sugar. The hint of maple was a fun twist, too. In the future, I may add more maple syrup. With the chunks of potatoes, it turned out to be a very hearty soup. Good stuff.

Ingredients:
2 pounds sweet potatoes
1 pound potatoes
1 parsnip
1 leek
1 yellow onion
1 red pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup sweet basil
2 sprigs thyme (take out before adding stock)
32 ounces sweet potato bisque stock
20 ounces chicken broth

Music: David Crowder Band - How He Loves
Weather: 36-degrees - definitely getting colder...