Sweet Potato Soup Fusion

OK... its November. We are officially a few weeks away from Thanksgiving... and dare I say - two months until the end of the year.

As I start to think about holiday entertaining and "the Holidays", I am always looking for something different.

Yes, I am that person that is not satisfied with the "traditional seasonal fare". Maybe bad childhood memories of holidays past, but more likely the desire to explore the full universe of food that is out there. That said, I am going to start to offer up some different recipes that you may want to consider for this holiday season.

This soup is truly a fusion of ingredients. Consider each ingredients and its contribution to the overall dish: sweet potatoes for sweetness, cinnamon/nutmeg to enhance the sweetness, curry/bay offer the earthiness, ginger/red pepper for the bite, and thyme that offers a refreshing overtone. This is culinary fusion!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes
• 1 small bay leaf
• 6 cups vegetable broth or stock
• 2 cups onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• Chopped roasted peanuts (for garnish)
• Sour cream (for garnish)

Preparation:

1. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes
2. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter
3. Add ginger, celery and onion - cook until soft (about 6 to 8 mins)
4. Add curry powder, cinnamon, cayenne and nutmeg
5. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly
6. Add potatoes, broth, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper
7. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil
8. Lower heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are soft and cooked (about 25 to 30 mins)
9. Transfer soup in batches to a blender or food processor and puree - Alternatively you can use an immersion blender in the pot if you have one
10. Thin soup with milk to desired texture
11. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and chopped peanuts