A cornucopia of seasonal flavors comes together in this creamy vegetarian soup. It’s homey, yet you can serve it to the most sophisticated palates in your best china or rustic soup bowls. It gets a double hit of fresh-pressed olive oil, which is used in the vibrant, herbaceous pesto as well as the soup.
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 cups vegetable broth, plus more if needed
- 3 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes (3 or 4 potatoes)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 pinch cayenne, or to taste
- Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
- One 14-ounce can full fat unsweetened coconut milk
- 8 ounces burrata cheese
For the pesto:
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin
- olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup chopped Tuscan kale
- 1/4 cup shelled green pistachios, toasted
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and hot red
- pepper flakes
Directions
Step 1
Make the pesto: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the sage and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant and crisp. Remove from the heat.
Step 2
In a food processor, pulse together the remaining 1/3 cup of olive oil, the kale, pistachios, and Parmesan until finely chopped. Add the sage and season to taste with salt and hot red pepper flakes. Pulse to combine.
Step 3
Make the soup: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the shallots and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme and butter and cook another 30 seconds. Pour in the broth. Add the sweet potatoes, cayenne, nutmeg, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Step 4
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup directly in the pot until smooth. (Alternatively, use a blender to puree the soup in batches.) Stir in the coconut milk and 2 tablespoons of the sage pesto and cook another 5 minutes. If the soup is too thick, thin with additional broth.
Step 5
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Swirl each bowl of soup with a spoonful of the sage pesto. Break the burrata and spoon some over the top of the soup.
Serves 6 — Recipe from halfbakedharvest.com
