Chai Spiced Sweet Potato Bisque

The chances of us having a White Christmas are practically nil, but it has been pretty darn cold here in SoCal. And, if Dallas can be hit by a snow storm…well, anything is possible. Hopefully it will never happen because it would be as if Armageddon had come since we’re such wimps when it comes to the weather! Even a few days of rain, especially here on the lower Left Coast is sensationalized as Storm Watch insert year with never-ending news coverage. But, I know you don’t want to hear about how cold it is here, especially if you live anywhere east of California!

Suffice it to say, that with the chilly weather, I’ve been a soup making machine. Last week it was a classic Italian Wedding Soup made a little less traditional with kale instead of escarole and extra carrots for added nutrition, all the better for your immune system, and a burst of color.

Today, I bring you a fragrant sweet potato bisque that’s so velvety and scrumptious that telling you it’s also low in calories and easy to make could be a mistake. The complexity comes from the alluring warming spices that are more often associated with hot toddies and sweet treats than savory dishes: chai spices, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.

The recipe and spices are courtesy of Savory Spice Shop in Corona del Mar. I’ve mentioned them in past posts (like the Moroccan cooking class)  because I’m a frequent customer of their aromatic shop for stocking my everyday kitchen herbs and spices and for sampling new combinations and world flavors from among their endless array of spice blends. Savory Spice Shop also has a great selection of boxed gift sets for the grill master or culinary whiz among your family and friends and all sorts of accoutrements for the kitchen, from tagines to cute little salt and spice dispensers.

This luscious bisque is elegant enough for a holiday celebration and simple enough to prepare for a weeknight dinner. One pot and a food processor, blender or VitaMix is all you need. An immersion or hand blender will also do the trick. Garnished with slivered almonds and pomegranate seeds, you have one beautifully delicious soup!

Chai Spiced Sweet Potato Bisque

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Fragrant with Chai and warming spices, this luscious bisque is elegant enough for a holiday celebration and simple enough to prepare for a weeknight dinner.

Author: Priscilla

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: American

Serves: 4+ cups

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 pkg. Chai Spices Mix
• 4 cups chicken broth*
• ½ tsp. Saigon cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp. ground cloves
• ¼-1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar
• ½ tsp. salt
• ⅛ tsp. ground cardamom
• ¼ cup heavy cream*
• ¼ cup apple juice
• muslin bag

Instructions

1. Put Chai Spices Mix in the muslin bag. Combine sweet potatoes and Chai Spice Mix with chicken broth in a large pot. Boil over high heat until sweet potatoes are fork tender. Remove muslin bag and drain sweet potatoes, reserving liquid in a bowl.
2. In a food processor or blender, puree potatoes until smooth, adding back chicken broth as needed to desired thickness. Add cinnamon, cloves, brown sugar, salt, white pepper and cardamom; pulse to combine. Add heavy cream and apple juice and pulse to incorporate. Reheat if needed, do not boil.

Notes

*I used homemade vegetable broth and coconut milk to make this vegetarian/vegan.

An immersion blender or hand blender may be used, although the end product may be a little chunkier.

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May you accomplish all that you need to do in the week ahead 🙂

Serenity