Soup: Spicy and Sweet

Knowing how busy my week is going to be, I decided to spend Sunday afternoon getting a head start on a few meals. And a few delicious meals, if I do say so myself! As I type, the smell of my honey whole wheat bread is wafting from the oven, my braised chicken thighs are cooling in the Dutch oven, and enchilada sauce is simmering on the stove. That gives us several mouth-watering weeknight dinners, in addition to the soup that's now stored away in the fridge for my lunches this week.

This soup is coming with me to work because I don't think Bill would be a fan. Sweet potatoes aren't typically his thing, but I could eat them every day of my life. So I made a pot of this spicy and sweet soup especially for me ... and am I glad I did! Words can't describe it, you just have to try it. It's perfection.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Apple Soup
Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 of a white or yellow onion, diced
1 garlic clove, smashed
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 gala apple, peeled and chopped
3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 small chipotle chili in adobo, seeded and chopped
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Heat oil to shimmering in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and ginger and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add celery and apple and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add sweet potato and cook 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and water, bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer, mostly covered, about 45 minutes.

Stir in chipotle chili. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth. (If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer soup in batches to blender or food processor, process until smooth, and return to pot.) Season with salt and pepper and serve.