PREP:
10 minutes
COOK:
50 minutes
SERVINGS:
6-8
Ingredients
- 3 lbs sweet potatoes (about 4 medium-large sized), garnet yams preferred
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 (4-ounce) package uncured diced pancetta
- 1 small white onion (about 1 cup), chopped
- 4 celery hearts (about 1 cup), chopped
- 2 medium carrots (about 1 cup), chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground Jamaican allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger root powder
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 1 (14-ounce) canned full-fat coconut milk
- grilled cheese sandwiches, for serving
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and drizzle with a touch of olive oil.
- Peel, cut, and quarter sweet potatoes into chunks. Place them onto a prepared baking sheet and gently toss together to coat in oil. Roast for 40-45 minutes or until lightly brown and crisp.
- Meanwhile, at halfway mark of roasting sweet potatoes, on the stovetop heat butter over medium heat in a large stock pot/dutch oven. Once melted, add in pancetta and stir together until fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Then take pancetta out and set aside in a small bowl with a paper towel.
- In the same pot, add in the onion and sauté until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Then add in chopped celery and carrot, stir together, and cook for another 3 minutes. Add in garlic and continue cooking until garlic is fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in salt, pepper, paprika, allspice, and ginger seasonings, mixing well to combine.
- Add in roasted sweet potatoes, stock, and coconut milk. Stir everything together until fully combined. Cover pot with lid and let mixture simmer together for 15 minutes. At this stage, prepare grilled cheese sandwiches and then set aside. If desired, cut crusts off sandwiches and neatly cut grilled cheese into mini squares for croutons.
- Remove from heat, uncover pot, and use a hand blender to fully blend everything together until desired consistency is reached. Taste soup and adjust seasonings to preference.
- Serve soup warm with grilled cheese sandwiches/top with croutons and diced pancetta. Enjoy!