Happy Monday, guys!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my fellow Canadian friends! I woke up this morning still stuffed from the huge turkey dinner we had yesterday. It was so delicious, but now I’m totally craving a simple and healthy meal for tonight’s dinner…and I have a feeling I’ll be making this soup again later on!

Two weeks ago I was cooking up this Sweet Potato Soup when I realized that I hadn’t thought about sharing this recipe on my blog! Kind of silly, really…because this is one of my favourite soup recipes EVER. My mom has been making it for years, and she passed it along to me, and I’m pretty sure the girls will pass it along to their little ones some day. This recipe is the perfect ‘Fall comfort food but still healthy’ kind of meal. Another bonus – if you’re short on time, throw this in a pot for an hour, puree, and you’re good to go! It’s delicious, guilt free, and makes a huge batch (yay for work/school  left-overs)!

I LOVE pairing this soup with my homemade thyme and honey whipped butter with a toasted baguette on the side. Guys…this butter is SO good. It just adds a subtle hint of sweetness and makes the meal feel a little bit more special. That’s the other great thing about this recipe! It’s really easy to throw together for a quick week night dish, but it’s also fancy enough to serve on a Saturday evening to friends and family. I hope you love it just as much as we do!

SWEET POTATO SOUP

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 4 large sweet potatoes
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 spanish onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 4 cups chicken stock (more if needed, depending on level of thickness you like)
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 lime, squeezed
• Parsley (optional)
• Sour Cream/Plain Yogurt (optional)
• Crushed chilies (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Peel and chop sweet potatoes and set aside. In pot on stove at medium heat, add 1 tbsp of butter, then cook onions until fragrant. Add garlic and cook for approximately two minutes, until fragrant. Add chicken stock, sweet potatoes, ground cumin, salt and pepper, fresh ginger, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes (sweet potatoes should be very tender).

Using a blender/stick blender/food processor, puree mixture (in batches, if necessary). Return to pot, and add creamy peanut butter and lime juice. Mix until the peanut butter is disolved. Optional: serve with sour cream or yogurt, parsley, and crushed chilies for a little added flavour and spice. 

TOASTED BAGUETTE WITH HONEY THYME BUTTER

• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/2-1 tbsp honey
• 1/2-1 tsp ground thyme (or 1-2 tsp fresh thyme)
• 1 large baguette of choice, sliced 
• Olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Place butter in medium sized bowl, whip with a large spoon or hand blender. Once the butter is soft and fluffy, add the honey and thyme. Mix together with a spoon and set aside. (Add additional thyme or honey depending on level of flavour you prefer).

Cut the baguette on an angle into approximately 3/4-1 inch thickness (or however you like). Pour 1/4 cup olive oil into a small bowl. Dip a brush in the olive oil, and coat baguette slices with the oil on both sides. Grill baguettes on BBQ until toasted/grill marks appear, or toss in oven on broil until tops are browned. 

Serve with butter and ENJOY!

Lots of love,

Alexandra xo