Rosemary Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed
• 3 1/2 tablespoons sweet unsalted butter
• 2 lbs sweet potatoes or yams, peeled & cut into 1 inch cubes
• 32 ounces vegetable broth
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 star anise
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 4 teaspoons quatre-epices
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 ounces chopped pecans

Directions

1. 1

   Remove the rosemary needles from the sprigs. Mince the needles & pecans in a food processor until very fine & reserve for later.

2. 2

   Melt the butter in a large pot then fry garlic and onions over medium heat until the onions are soft.

3. 3

   Add the yams, cinnamon sticks, star anise, rosemary branches and the stock. Bring to a boil then reduce heat & simmer covered for 20 minutes or until the yams are soft.

4. 4

   Remove the pot from the heat and discard the cinnamon sticks, star anise, & rosemary sprigs.

5. 5

   In a food processor, purée the soup in batches until smooth. Return the puréed soup to the pot, add the remaining spices and cream, and heat just to the boiling point.

6. 6

   Reduce the heat to low & simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat then taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary. If the soup is too thick, add a bit of cream or stock.

7. 7

   To serve, garnish with the reserved rosemary and pecans.