Smooth and Silky
One thing I’m very passionate about is a smooth and silky soup. The velvety mouthfeel of the soup truly hits the spot. Luckily, it is soup season, so I’ve been making all the different kinds of soups… and I think I’ve found my favorite. This Japanese Sweet Potato Soup is the epitome of a silky, velvety soup. Japanese Sweet potatoes are coated with a spiced miso butter and roasted until tender. Then it’s blended with vegetable broth and finished with a touch of heavy cream and maple syrup. It’s simple, delicious, and the natural flavors of the sweet potato shine. This is my soup of choice for a cozy day in or if I’m sick because it’s a neutral soup that still has great flavor but will also warm your soul.
Spiced Miso Butter
To get started, preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line a large baking tray with foil. Place the sweet potatoes and onion, cut side up, onto the baking tray.
In a bowl, mix together the butter, white miso paste, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Brush all of the butter onto the sweet potatoes and onion. Bake it in the oven for 50-60 minutes until the sweet potatoes are fork tender. Set the sweet potatoes aside to cool.
Silky Smooth
When the sweet potatoes are cool enough to touch, scoop the flesh out from the skin or peel off the skin and discard. Working in batches, add some of the sweet potatoes into a blender along with some of the vegetable broth. Blend until smooth then pour the soup into a pot. Continue to blend the remaining sweet potatoes and vegetable broth.
Heat the pot of soup over medium heat until it begins to gently bubble. Turn off the heat then mix in the maple syrup and heavy cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with an extra drizzle of heavy cream and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
The Japanese Sweet Potato
This Japanese Sweet Potato Soup is so creamy and lush. While there is some heavy cream mixed in, the true star is the Japanese sweet potato itself. Japanese sweet potatoes are high in starch, which adds to the natural creamy body of the soup. I also love the addition of the maple syrup because it enhances the sweet, caramelized flavor of the Japanese sweet potato without overpowering it. This is the soup recipe you want to make if you’re looking for something simple and cozy. Butternut squash and pumpkin based soups have been my favorite soups for years, but this Japanese Sweet Potato Soup may take the cake. Try this recipe out, and let me know what you think!
Japanese Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 5 Medium Japanese Sweet Potato (sliced in half lengthwise)
- ½ Yellow Onion
- 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter (melted)
- 1 ½ tbsp White Miso Paste
- 1 tsp Minced Ginger Paste
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg
- ½ tbsp Kosher Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- 6 cups Vegetable Broth
- ⅓ cup Maple Syrup
- ¾ cup Heavy Cream
- Toasted White and Black Sesame Seeds (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line a large baking tray with foil. Place the sweet potatoes and onion, cut side up, onto the baking tray.
- In a bowl, mix together the butter, white miso paste, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Brush all of the sauce onto the sweet potatoes and onion. Bake it in the oven for 50-60 minutes until the sweet potatoes are fork tender. Set the vegetables aside until cool enough to touch.
- Scoop the flesh out from the sweet potatoes or peel off the skins from the sweet potatoes. Discard the skins. Working in batches, add some of the sweet potatoes into a blender along with some of the vegetable broth. Blend until smooth then pour the soup into a pot. Continue to blend the remaining sweet potatoes and vegetable broth.
- Heat the pot of soup over medium heat until it begins to gently bubble. Turn off the heat then mix in the maple syrup and heavy cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with an extra drizzle of heavy cream and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Enjoy!
