Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Rosemary Soup — The Dirt on Vegetables

The calendar is nearing mid-March and it is still insanely cold here in Cambridge, and I, for one, am sick of it. One of the ways I find the silver lining in this seemingly endless winter weather is by making soups, which is always the best food to remove the chill from your bones. In my last blog post, I talked about getting back on track with our New Years Resolutions by eating healthier. The question of how to eat healthier and still be satisfied with your meal can be answered by making lots of soups that are high in nutrients and low in fat.

This sweet potato, black bean, & rosemary soup can be made completely vegan and low-cal or it can be made into being a little more decadent with a dollop of mascarpone. I went to a one-hour spin class and than did a major circuit of weight training the day I whipped up this soup, so I treated myself to the creamier version. It was weepingly delicious. In fact, I gave a container to my boyfriend's sister as a birthday present and she called me after the first few bites to thank me profusely.

(Makes for a great gift!)

It's fun to have a recipe that is easy to play around with and I encourage my readers to get creative in the kitchen. Try new things with your recipes! Swap out coconut oil for the olive oil if you'd like, or even use half and half cream instead of mascarpone. Make it vegan and take out the butter and the dairy all together. Go wild because sometimes I make some of my greatest culinary discoveries when I try new things.

When this soup is finished, it's silky and slightly sweet, but has a great smoky kick once the chipotle in adobo is added. If you've never used this ingredient before, you are in for a real treat. It is easy to find at most supermarkets and a little goes a long way. It is typically sold in a tiny can and I use 1-2 chipotles for this dish and then save the rest in a Tupperware in my fridge. I recommend deseeding the chipotles before using them because the seeds pack most of the heat and you don't want that much spiciness to take over this soup.

This soup is the kind of recipe that will impress your guests and it is not hard to make at all. If you don't have an immersion blender, you should purchase one immediately. It is in my top 3 favorite kitchen appliances and I usually give it to people who don't have one as a housewarming gift because it comes in handy. Who wants to keep putting batches of soup into a blender little by little at a time? It's a pain in the you-know-what, it's time consuming, and it makes such a mess. The immersion blender is the cure-all for those issues. My friend even uses hers to make smoothies, so it is very versatile. Once you have one of these bad boys, you'll feel like you can conquer the world-- or at the very least you will be making smooth soups.

Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Rosemary Soup

Author: Michele Wolfson

Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Rosemary Soup

Adapted from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 large or 6 small shallots, thinly sliced
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds (about 2 to 3) sweet potatoes, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 stems fresh rosemary
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo, chopped (try to remove seeds)
1 cup black beans
1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)

Instructions

In a large pot, melt the butter and oil together over medium-high heat.
Add the shallots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the sweet potatoes, rosemary and vegetable broth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are very tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.
Turn off the heat and remove the rosemary stems. Add the mascarpone and the chipotle in adobo. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick.
Rinse and drain the black beans thoroughly. Add the beans and maple syrup to soup and stir. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat until ready to serve.