For many people, Thanksgiving fare is delightfully delicious and dreadfully routine: roasted turkey, (corn) bread stuffing with sage, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean cassarole, pumpkin pie, and candied sweet potatoes are holiday food list-toppers in a large number of households. It doesn't have to be! Why not celebrate the holiday with new and exciting variations on old favorites, some of which may inspire culinary adventures through the entire holiday and winter season?
One idea would be to make soup, something not altogether common on the Thanksgiving table. The featured recipe here, sweet potato and apple cream soup, received the following review after the first bite: "Wow, that's really, really, really, really good soup, and that's coming from someone who doesn't like sweet potatoes at all!" -Tammy Lindsay. It was repeated, almost verbatim, after her second bowl. Topping its flavor is the simplicity of making it! Sweet potatoes are a Southern-fare favorite and part of the food heritage in the Knoxville area, so enjoy this gourmet take on a regional classic ingredient!
The ingredients:
- Five small sweet potatoes or the equivalent, peeled and cut into cubes;
- One apple, peeled, cored, and cut into cubes;
- 4 tbsp. (half a stick) of butter;
- 12-16 oz. whole milk, depending on desired consistency;
- A pinch of salt;
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon powder;
- 1/4 c. brown sugar;
- 1 tbsp. whiskey or bourbon.
The directions:
Boil sweet potatoes and apple until sweet potatoes are quite tender. Drain. Lower the heat to medium and add the sweet potato mixture, half of the butter, and the rest of the ingredients back into the pan. Let cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring, and then blend until smooth with an immersion blender or in a conventional blender. Strain and press the result through a chinois or fine mesh strainer (for a smoother, finer soup -- do not strain it for a higher fiber dish) into either a clean pan or back into the original. Add the remaining butter, taste it to adjust the flavors, and serve hot with an optional garnish of marshmallow fluff or fresh crema.
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