This fabulous recipe, created by my friend (and co-author of my first cookbook), Lisa Flaxman, is a guaranteed winner-it won second prize in Parenting magazine’s Recipes 2000 Contest. This can provide a lovely start to the Thanksgiving feast.
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into medium chunks
1 firm apple, such as Gala or Jonagold, peeled, cored and quartered
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
2 whole cloves garlic, peeled
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste (optional)
3 - 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 cup nonfat sour cream for serving (optional)
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put the sweet potatoes, apples, onions and garlic in a roasting pan. Toss them with the oil and a few shakes of salt and pepper (optional). Roast, tossing every 10 minutes, until they are soft, about 30 minutes. (Meanwhile, prepare the Zucchini Fritters, if you are serving them.)
Puree the vegetable/apple mixture in a blender or food processor (or in the pot using an immersion blender), adding just enough broth to cover it. Add more broth to the blender until the soup reaches the desired consistency, so it is smooth and not too thick. If you are using a blender, you will probably need to puree the soup in two batches.
Warm the soup over low heat in a stockpot until ready to serve, or refrigerate it for up to 1 day or freeze it for up to 3 months. Stir in sour cream at the table for a creamier taste, if desired.
Scramble Flavor Booster: Add 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. ground ginger or 1 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger to the roasted vegetables before blending, or 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. ground chipotle chili pepper for a spicy bite.
Nutritional Information per serving (% based upon daily values):
Calories 120, Total Fat 5g, 8%, Saturated Fat 0g, 0%, Cholesterol 0mg, 0%, Sodium 310mg, 13%, Total Carbohydrate 16g, 5%, Dietary Fiber 2g, 9%, Protein 2g, Sugar 9g