Spicing Up the Perfect Soup

Sweet Potato Soup

This amazing soup combines two of my favorite aspects of cooking. First, taking a simple and common recipe (in this case sweet potato soup) and making it new and unique. Second, using an ingredient most people don’t even know exists, which here would be zaatar seasoning.

I first made this soup when I randomly bought some zaatar seasoning at Penzey’s on a whim and then happened upon this recipe later that day. It seemed like fate. I  haven’t stopped making this soup since. Even without the interesting trimmings, the base of this soup is perfect and creates that creamy richness that I can hardly ever seem to recreate at home. This soup is so velvety, it doesn’t seen possible that there isn’t a stick of butter involved in the process. Add in some great feta and a sprinkle of zaatar and it just doesn’t get any better.

If you like Mediterranean flavors its worth tracking down some zaatar, a blend of sesame seeds, sumac and thyme. It’s earthy and complex and a great complement to the sweet potatoes. I love generously sprinkling chicken thighs with olive oil and zaatar, then tossing them in the oven until cooked through. This has become my new “I don’t feel like cooking” meal. Sprinkled over freshly toasted pitas sprayed with a little oil, a little zaatar goes a long way in spicing up something ordinary.

Sweet Potato Soup with Feta and Zaatar Oil
Original recipe from Food 52.

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons zaatar seasoning
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 leek, white part only, rinsed thoroughly and diced
• 5 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes
• 6 cups water
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 cup feta cheese

In a small pot, combine ¼ cup olive oil and the zaatar. Cook over medium heat until hot, but take care not to burn the zaatar. Set aside for at least one hour to cool and infuse.

In a large pot, heat the butter and remaining olive oil over medium high heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion, carrot, and leek, and cook until softened, about five minutes.

Add the sweet potato cubes and sauté for another minute. Add the water, stock, and bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Once the soup begins to boil, lower to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Check to make sure the sweet potatoes are completely soft. If not, continue cooking until they are.

Remove the bay leaf and puree the soup using a regular or immersion blender. Check the seasoning and add the salt (you may need more or less depending on what type of stock you used).

Ladle out the soup into individual bowls. Crumble some feta into each bowl, and drizzle each bowl with some of the zaatar oil.

Tags: feta, Gluten-Free, Recipes, soup, What's For Dinner

This entry was posted on Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 1:14 pm and is filed under Adventurous Cooking, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Vegetarian. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.