Sweet Potato, Corn, and Jalapeño Bisque

My recipe book is made up of recipes I've printed then put in laminated pouches and assembled in a 3-ring binder.  For a while, I had this nasty habit of printing out most recipes that looked good then putting them directly into my binder system---no bueno!

The binder became untrustworthy because I had no idea if I would like the recipe or not, and it also became a big, big mess.  Now, I have a special spot for recipes I want to try and recipe face offs (like, I have two ratatouille recipes and two shepherd's pie recipes, so I'm going to have them face-off and then choose one-- it's going to be intense!!!).  

This soup was a recipe I've been wanting to try.  Unfortunately, it hasn't made the final cut for my official recipe book.  Despite the jalapeño, the soup is hardly spicy; rather, it's mostly sweet.  I don't like sweet soup, but you may like sweet soup, in which case, go for it!  This is super quick to make, too--less than 30 minutes. 


Btw, the Bachelor is back, and I'm totally watching it.  Lord help me.

Sweet, Corn, and Jalapeño Bisque
“Cooking Up a Storm: Recipes Lost and Found From The Times-Picayune of New Orleans” (Chronicle Books, 2008)


Serves 3 for dinner

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds total), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 medium jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Scant pinch ground cinnamon
Finely chopped scallions, green parts only, or minced parsley

1. In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until just soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and stock and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender or a food processor, purée contents of pot, in batches if necessary, until smooth.

3. Reheat soup, stirring in jalapeño, corn, molasses, salt, cayenne, black pepper and cinnamon. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve, topped with scallions or parsley.

Split Pea Soup

If super thick and delicious split pea soup isn't your thing, stand back because this soup is just that.  Did I mention there's bacon, too?  And Todd will tell you, bacon makes everything better.  So, there you have it...

ALSO, today was my last day of class of my semester of law school--good grief!  My first semester has been interesting, challenging and sometimes, downright funny.  If nothing else, I can't wait to be a lawyer!  Please think good thoughts for me as I embark on my first experience with law school exams.

Split Pea Soup
(via The Kitchen Sink Recipes)
Yield: 4 bowls
2 to 3 slices of thick-cut, best-quality bacon, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, diced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup white wine
4 cups chicken stock (homemade or low-sodium/store bought)
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups split peas

In a large, heavy soup pot, cook the diced bacon over medium heat until it begins to brown (about 5 minutes).  Add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery and thyme to the bacon; stir and cook for several minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften (about 5 minutes).  Add wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Add the stock, water and peas; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and cook the soup over medium-low heat for an hour to an hour-and-a-half, until most of the split peas have broken down and the soup reaches your desired consistency.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

This soup is good.  So, so good.  I made it for the first time this weekend.  It's supposed to serve eight, yet four of us managed to split it as an appetizer.  Todd loved it so much that we made it again tonight, although this time the two of us ate the whole thing!  Might use less butter and sour cream next time so I don't feel so guilty when I eat 4x the amount I should.  I accompanied it with cabbage sauteed in water and seasoned with salt and pepper, so we had a completely colorless yet tasty meal!

P.S. I wanted to take a picture of something for y'all, but Todd and I literally ate everything...we'll work on it.


Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Serves 8, or 2 greedy adults
(From Pink of Perfection)

This soup can be made two days ahead of time. Just wait until you’re reheating it to add the sour cream.


2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 head cauliflower, florets separated and stems chopped
½ cup white wine
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup sour cream
chives or scallion greens to garnish


Melt the butter in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, cauliflower, salt and pepper. Cook until the onion is softened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the white wine and cook for 1 minute, then add the stock and cook until the cauliflower is very tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Purée the soup in a blender in batches. Stir in the sour cream, adjust the seasoning if necessary, and garnish.