Passport & Plate - Sweet Potato and Chorizo Soup
USA | Friday, March 14, 2014 | 2 photos
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Ingredients
1 tbs olive oil
1 red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 large sweet potatoes, cubed
quarts beef or chicken stock
8 oz spicy chorizo, removed from casing
4 cups celery stalk, chopped
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 tbs paprika
6 oz mushrooms, sliced
black pepper, ground fresh
How to prepare this recipe
In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook onions until translucent, then add garlic and continue until onions begin to caramelize.
Add sweet potato and soup stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a strong simmer. Cover and stir occasionally.
In a separate pan, cook the chorizo over medium-high heat. Once slightly browned, set aside in a mixing bowl. Leave any leftover grease in the pan.
Saute the celery in the chorizo grease over medium-high heat. Set aside with the chorizo, again leaving any grease behind.
When sweet potatoes soften, use an immersion blender or transfer to a food processor in batches to puree the ingredients and return to the stock pot.
Add the chorizo, celery, paprika, and thyme. Reduce heat to a light simmer. Cover and stir occasionally.
Finally, saute the mushrooms in the pan with any remaining chorizo grease (add olive oil if necessary).
Remove the thyme stems. Dish the soup into bowls, garnish with mushrooms, add a dash of freshly ground black pepper, and serve.
Note: If the chorizo and celery are prepared concurrently with the stock, the sweet potatoes should have softened enough to puree by the time the chorizo and celery are ready.
The story behind this recipe
The "melting pot" has many connotations. Growing up in a fairly diverse college town in America, I heard this phrase often. It filled me with both pride and awe - not necessarily for my country, but because it provided the opportunity to experience many cultures and traditions from around the world at a young age.
The stories of immigrants in America range from inspiring and heartfelt, to shocking and tragic, to everywhere in-between. However different those stories may be, a strong culture of food ran prominent in each. Prepared meals were a source of pride, traditions in the kitchen sacred, and dinner with family and friends a shining light that easily dispelled any struggles of the day.
Eating is a communal event, defined not just by what is on the table, but by who sits around it. The many cultures of the world are built upon the foundation of what we eat, how we eat it, and where. Sharing those traditions is not only enjoyable, but provides deep and meaningful insight into how we form and maintain our personal and societal relationships.
When I began to cook myself, I naturally gravitated toward the freedom, creativity, and anomalous opportunities offered by soups and stews. Stirring my mixture of ingredients into the stock pot did not feel so different than mingling with old and new friends from far off lands at our numerous potluck dinners. Through the exploration of food, we learned more about each other, our heritage, and our experiences than we could have any other way.
The time I spent in Alabama made me fall in love with sweet potatoes; Mexican chorizo reminded me I could never become a vegetarian; France taught me how caramelized onions are a delectable base to just about everything; and I greatly look forward to what Italy has in store. Not just so I can add another ingredient to this recipe, but because I still have so much to learn from the people and cultures of the world; and I want to share those findings and experiences with others.
