For most of my life, when it came to eating soup, I only had a few meals that my mom ever made: Chili, tomato, or chicken noodle. When I was little, I loved chili, but it was always served too hot. So I would go to the freezer and drop a few ice cubes in the bowl to cool it down. Tomato was always boring, but not so bad when there was grilled cheese. And of course, chicken noodle was the mainstay when I got sick. Too bad it was always Campbell’s with a whole lot of broth, a few noodles, and almost no chicken.
Needless, to say, outside of a pretty tasty minestrone at Olive Garden, I haven’t had the best experiences with soup. So when I was still deciding if a vegan or vegetarian diet was sustainable, I started seeing some intriguing soups I had never heard of, let alone considered. This bisque recipe from Jenne Claiborne at Sweet Potato Soul was one of those I’ve tried. It’s different for me, healthy and tasty, so I decided to share it with you.
Crispy White Beans
These beans are pretty heavily seasoned before roasting in the oven. But I think they provide a nice, crisp contrast to the smooth potato soup.
The recipe recommends either cannellini beans or navy beans. I prefer cannellini, but the store was out. I must say though, with the navy beans I really didn’t notice a difference. They were still tasty.
Drain and rinse the beans, toss them in a bowl with a little oil, and add the rosemary, garlic, and smoked paprika. Give it a toss and spread them out evenly on a baking sheet. I like to use parchment paper for a reliable non-stick surface. Plus it makes clean up a cinch. Off to the oven they go for about 20-25 minutes. They’ll come out a little smaller, a lot more crispy. They’re not great to eat by themselves, but work really well in the bisque.
Use the crispy beans emerged in the soup, as a garnish, or a bit of both. I like adding half a handful as I progress through the dish to maintain the flavor and provide some substance.
There are air fryer instructions for this recipe as well.
Sweet Potato Bisque
In a large pot, start with onions and garlic in a little oil. Sauté for a few minutes before adding the cubed sweet potatoes and broth. Bring the broth to a boil. Let the potatoes simmer for about 20 minutes add top it off with some cayenne and black pepper when it’s done.
Let the ingredients cool slightly, then pour the pot into the blender and make it nice a smooth. Pour it back in the pot, or right into bowls to serve.
Conclusion
Soup is served! I really enjoy the creaminess of this sweet potato bisque. Incorporating the crispy white beans adds more complexity which I appreciate. I didn’t do this, but Jenne also added some half moon wedges of roasted sweet potato for her photos. That could be a nice addition, without changing the flavor. I’ve also added parsley for color and red pepper flakes to add some spice.
As always, I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about this dish and will try it yourself. By all means, please visit Sweet Potato Soul to check out this and many of her other tasty dishes.