Autumn Sweet Potato Soup

So now it's September and the heat here in New York has started to subside a bit thank goodness!! Autumn is just around the corner. Autumn is my favorite time of year. I do like summer because it stays light longer and everything is green and in bloom, but I truly don't like the extremely hot and humid summers that we have been having the past several years in New York. Autumn is the perfect time of year. The temperatures and humidity are down and you can actually breathe when you go outside and we don't need the A/C running day and night! The colors are amazing and it's just a lovely time of year. When the weather starts to turn, I always think of different types of soups that I can make. I found the most wonderful soup that is perfect for the Autumn season. I found it on Tory Avey's site called The Shiksa in the Kitchen. Tory is a convert to Judaism and has the most wonderful food blog. She will explain on her blog why she calls herself The Shiksa in the Kitchen. She also has another site related to the history of food called The History Kitchen which is fabulous as well. All you history buffs will love it. Please go check out both of her blogs!

Autumn Sweet Potato Soup

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and diced
• 2 quarts vegetable or chicken stock
• 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 3 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 large zucchini, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
• 1 tsp. dried thyme or marjoram leaves, or 1 tbsp. fresh
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• pinch of cayenne pepper, or more if you like your food spicy
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• salt, to taste

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large non stick pot. Saute the onions until they turn light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and saute for another minute or two, making sure not to burn. Add the sweet potatoes and zucchini and saute for a couple more minutes. Add the chicken or vegetable stock, thyme or marjoram leaves, ginger, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil and then lower the flame and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the pot and simmer for another 10 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender. Stir the peanut butter into the soup until it incorporates and dissolves. Taste and add salt and more pepper, if needed.

Take about half of the vegetables and put into a food processor or blender with a bit of the liquid and puree until smooth. Add the mixture back into the soup and stir. The soup will be thickened with some chunky veggie pieces.

Enjoy!