
Without fail, on the first fall-ishly cool day, I am seized by acute hankerings for meat and/or great, redolently steaming pots of soup. Happily, I was able to indulge both in my slow-burn batch of Chipotle Sweet Potato Black Bean Soup rustled up in my tiny kitchen. The recipe was originally conceived in the grocery aisle when I grabbed the pureed sweet potatoes next to the intended pumpkin. Not being a part of my standard repertoire at the time, the sweet potatoes lingered in my cupboard for over a year, until through luck of the draw, on an evening particularly open to possibility, it ended up next to the corn, black beans and diced tomatoes on my shelf—a culinary Scrabble moment! The cans were played. A new soup was born. Check out my Vittles page to try a bowl. For the Veggie-tarians among you, the recipe can be easily and, dare I say, as tastily amended to suit. Bon appétit!
½ to 1 whole red onion, diced
½ each of red & green bell pepper, diced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4-5 minced garlic clove
1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. ground cumin1
cup chicken stock
optional (1 ½ poached or roasted shredded chicken or cooked chorizo slices)
14 oz. can chopped tomato
2/3 c fresh or canned sweet corn
2/3 c soaked or canned black beans
1-3 chipotle peppers* in adobo sauce, chopped fine
14oz. can sweet potato puree
salt to taste
chopped fresh cilantro
dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt
In a soup pot, sauté the onions and peppers in the olive oil until they soften. Add the minced garlic and sauté for up to a minute. Stir in the flour and cumin, stirring constantly for another minute. Add the chicken stock, optional chicken or chorizo, tomatoes, corn, black beans and chipotle peppers. Bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat and stir in the pureed sweet potato. Simmer for 10 minutes before serving with a generous portion of cilantro and dollop of sour cream or yogurt on top.
*A little chipotle goes a long way. Although the sour cream will help to mitigate, for the spice-timid, I recommend starting with one chipotle.
½ to 1 whole red onion, diced
½ each of red & green bell pepper, diced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4-5 minced garlic clove
1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. ground cumin1
cup chicken stock
optional (1 ½ poached or roasted shredded chicken or cooked chorizo slices)
14 oz. can chopped tomato
2/3 c fresh or canned sweet corn
2/3 c soaked or canned black beans
1-3 chipotle peppers* in adobo sauce, chopped fine
14oz. can sweet potato puree
salt to taste
chopped fresh cilantro
dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt
In a soup pot, sauté the onions and peppers in the olive oil until they soften. Add the minced garlic and sauté for up to a minute. Stir in the flour and cumin, stirring constantly for another minute. Add the chicken stock, optional chicken or chorizo, tomatoes, corn, black beans and chipotle peppers. Bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat and stir in the pureed sweet potato. Simmer for 10 minutes before serving with a generous portion of cilantro and dollop of sour cream or yogurt on top.
*A little chipotle goes a long way. Although the sour cream will help to mitigate, for the spice-timid, I recommend starting with one chipotle.