The Sweetest Soup

Beautiful fall soup and salad.

My daughter is a "picky eater". She has been a vegetarian since birth (her choice... she spit out meat from the first bite). She likes all her tastes separate, no mixing, no sauces. But the variety of things she eats is good: lots of dairy, eggs, nuts, grains, fruits and vegetables. She is 11, and I've been making her try more things. If she's wary of a soup I make, she must eat a few spoonfuls served in a small pyrex bowl. Last night she hugged me and thanked me for finding a soup she likes. She ate a whole regular-sized bowl.

It is a sweet potato/pear soup adapted by me from a friend's recipe adapted from a Moosewood recipe.

peeled, chopped sweet potatoes with cinnamon stick

apples, pears, sauteed in butter simmered in white wine

This hand-held blender makes soup preparation easy.

Sweet Potato/Pear Soup

 1.5 lbs yams or sweet potatoes

4 cups water (I used half water/half broth, I think some cider in there would be great too)

1 3-inch stick of cinnamon

1  teaspoons salt

3 large (average person’s fist-sized) ripe pears (I used 2 pears and an apple)

¼ cup  white wine

1/3 cup half and half or light cream or milk

A few dashes of ground white pepper

Peel the yams and cut into small pieces. Place in a large saucepan with water, cinnamon stick and salt.

Bring to a boil, cover and simmer till tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove and discard cinnamon stick. Set aside.

Peel and core the pears (and/or apples); cut into thin slices.

In heavy skillet saute pears in butter for about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Add ¼ cup wine, cover and simmer 10 – 12 minutes over medium heat.

Using a food processor or blender, in several batches, puree the yams in their water and the pears in their juice until smooth. (My new hand held blender allowed me to put everything together and blend it quickly, no transferring hot liquid, no messing up lots of bowls and appliances, get one!)

Add the milk or cream, stir and serve.