This Roasted Sweet Potato and Leek Soup is a lovely gently seasoned soup. Made with roasted sweet potatoes, a leek, a head of roasted garlic, and some curated seasonings, this is a comforting soup, especially when served with fresh bread (plain, crusty, or garlic), rolls, focaccia, biscuits, or savory crackers. Whether enjoyed for lunch or a light supper, this thick and creamy soup makes for a comforting meal.  The soup freezes and reheats well, too, so is handy to have on hand in the freezer for when needed.

Two pounds (apx. 1 kg) of sweet potatoes will be required for this recipe. And, we are going to roast the potatoes which will make them sweeter and deepen their earthy flavor. The roasting process will also make their flesh soft and creamy and easy to mash.

So, begin by washing the potatoes and pricking them all over with the tines of a fork.  Roast them, unpeeled, at 400°F directly on the oven rack positioned in the center of the oven. Because the potatoes come in various sizes, it is difficult to say exactly how long they will take to roast but, on average, they’ll take at least 45 minutes – 1 hour, depending on size of potatoes. They’re done when they fork-test softness. I recommend beginning to check them for doneness around the 40-minute point.

For this recipe, we’re using a head of roasted garlic. Now, that may sound like a lot but, when roasted, the garlic loses the strong, sharp, pungent flavor that raw garlic has and the soup will not have a distinct garlicky flavor. Instead, through the roasting and caramelization process, the garlic is transformed into a lovely mellow, savory flavor. Therefore, when using roasted garlic in a recipe, the amount called for is frequently considerably more than if raw garlic was used and the flavor profile of the finished dish is altogether different.

It’s easy to roast garlic and it can go in the oven at the same time as the sweet potatoes as they roast at the same temperature. Peel off the outer papery skin of the head of a medium-sized (or large) garlic. Leave the cloves intact; do not separate the cloves. Slice off about 1/3” from the top of the garlic head and discard. This will expose the garlic cloves.

Line a small rimmed baking sheet with a piece of tin foil large enough to wrap up the garlic head.  Lightly spray tin foil with cooking oil.  Place the garlic head on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle 1½ – 2 teaspoons of olive oil all over the exposed cloves.  If desired, season with a sprinkle of fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Gather up ends of foil to cover the garlic head. Roast at 400°F for 35-45 minutes, or until garlic cloves are caramelized and golden brown and cloves show signs of pulling away from their skins. When cooled enough to handle, squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins and mash with a fork. Set aside.

Adding to the flavor profile of the soup, we are also using a large leek in this recipe.  By large, I mean it’s about one pound (454g) when weighed with a chunk of the dark green stem still on it (similar to that shown in the photo above), typical of what you would buy at a supermarket. That dark green part needs to be cut off and discarded as only the white and light green parts will be used. Make sure to wash the leeks well as, during the growing process, they tend to trap dirt in between their layers.

This is not a particularly spicy soup and a curated blend of seasonings has been selected in moderate amounts. If you prefer a spicier flavor, add more of some, or each, seasoning. I do, however, always recommend that the soup be made the first time according to the amounts called for in the recipe then, after the first batch of soup, if you think it needs more spices or herbs for your personal taste, add them in the next batch.

So, once the sweet potatoes and garlic have roasted, the soup making will follow a fairly straight forward procedure.  As always, I recommend doing some pre-prep work which can be done while the potatoes and garlic are roasting. Dice the mirepoix ingredients (onion, carrot, and celery) into consistently-sized pieces, about ¼” – 1/3“. Cut off the dark green part of the leek stem and remove the stem end. Chop the leek into moderately small pieces (similar to that as shown in photo below). Measure out the seasonings and maple syrup. Grate the Parmesan cheese. Set out the apple to be peeled, cored, and diced when called for in the recipe. Measure out the poultry stock – it can be heated in either a pot on the stove or in the microwave. It does not need to be boiling hot but it should be warm to allow it to more easily blend in with the other ingredients. Either store-bought or homemade poultry stock can be used in this recipe.

In terms of equipment, you will need a large skillet or sauté pan, a large soup pot, and either a traditional blender, food processor, or hand-held immersion blender.

Once the mirepoix, leek, and apple have been cooked, transfer them, along with the warm poultry stock and seasonings, to a large soup pot. Bring the mixture just to the boil before reducing heat and simmering it, covered, for about 15-20 minutes. Add the mashed sweet potatoes and roasted garlic and continue cooking soup for 5-7 minutes longer.

Bring cream to room temperature.

After cooling the soup mixture slightly, purée the soup to desired consistency using either a traditional blender, food processor, or a hand-held immersion blender.

Return the puréed mixture to the stove and slowly blend in the maple syrup and cream followed by the grated Parmesan cheese, heating mixture to serving temperature.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish, if desired, with a dollop or swirl of sour cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

The soup freezes and reheats well provided the cream called for in the recipe is used. Fat-reduced dairy products are not recommended for this soup.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Leek Soup

Ingredients:

2 lbs (apx. 1 kg) sweet potatoes
1 medium-sized head of garlic
1½ – 2 tsp olive oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

3-4 tbsp olive oil
2-3 tbsp butter
1/3 cup carrot, diced into pieces approximately ¼“ – 1/3“
1/3 cup celery, diced into pieces approximately ¼“ – 1/3“
¾ cup onion, diced into pieces approximately ¼“ – 1/3“
1 – One (1) lb (454g) leek, (will yield apx. ½ lb (227g), chopped – light green and white parts only)
1 small apple, peeled, cored, and diced into pieces approximately ¼“ – 1/3“

4 cups warm chicken or turkey stock
1 tsp fine sea salt
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp curry powder
¼ – ½ tsp dried thyme
1/8 – ¼ tsp ground ginger
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

¼ cup pure maple syrup
1¼ cups of 10% cream, room temperature
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Equipment Required:

Large skillet or sauté pan
Large soup pot
Potato/vegetable masher
Blender, hand-held immersion blender, or food processor

Method:
Pre-Prep:
Position oven rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Scrub potatoes well. Do not peel. Prick each potato several times with the tines of a fork. Place potatoes directly on oven rack. Roast until fork easily inserts into center of potato without resistance, approximately 45 minutes – 1 hour, depending on size of potatoes. Begin checking for doneness around the 40-minute point. Cool potatoes just enough to handle to remove the flesh from the skins.

Line a small rimmed baking sheet with a piece of tin foil large enough to wrap up the garlic head.  Lightly spray tin foil with cooking oil.  Peel off outer papery skin of garlic. Do not separate the cloves; leave them intact. Slice off about 1/3” from the top of the garlic head and discard. Place the garlic head upright on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle 1½ – 2 teaspoons of olive oil all over the exposed cloves.  If desired, season with a sprinkle of fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Gather up ends of foil to form a packet covering the garlic head. Roast at 400°F for 35-45 minutes, or until garlic cloves are caramelized and golden brown and cloves show signs of pulling away from their skins. When cooled enough to handle, squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins and mash with fork. Set aside.

When potatoes have cooled enough to handle, remove the pulp from the skins and mash well with a potato/vegetable masher.

While the garlic and potatoes are roasting, cut off and discard the dark green part of the leek as well as the stem end. Wash leek well. Chop the leek (white and light green parts only) and dice and measure onion, carrots, and celery. Grate the Parmesan cheese. Set out apple ready to be peeled, cored, and diced when called for in the recipe. Measure out all remaining ingredients except the cream.

Heat olive oil in large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. When pan is hot and the oil is starting to shimmer, add the butter. Once the butter has melted, reduce heat slightly and add the celery and carrots. Cook, stirring frequently, for a couple of minutes then add the onions. Cook for about 2 minutes longer then reduce the heat to medium low and add the leeks. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes then add the peeled, cored, and diced apple and cook for a couple of minutes longer.

Transfer mixture to large soup pot. Place over medium heat and add the warm poultry stock, salt, pepper, and seasonings. Bring mixture just to the boiling point then cover and reduce heat to simmer for about 15-20 minutes.  Stir in the mashed sweet potato and roasted garlic and cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat for approximately 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Bring cream to room temperature.

Cool soup mixture slightly then purée using either a hand-held immersion blender, a traditional blender, or food processor. If using a traditional blender or food processor, purée in batches.

Return puréed mixture to pot and slowly add the maple syrup and cream while stirring mixture.  Heat over medium-low heat and, when heated, add the Parmesan cheese, stirring until cheese is melted.

Ladle soup into bowls and, if desired, garnish with a dollop or swirl of sour cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Serve with rolls, bread (plain or garlic), focaccia, biscuits, or savory crackers.

Yield:  Apx. 6-8 servings

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For my regular Potato and Leek Soup recipe, click the link below:
Potato and Leek Soup