Sopa de Batata Doce

Cream soups are a staple of crisp, fall nights. This simple soup from Brazil packs all the comfort of a warm bowl without the cream. Quality tomatoes, such as heirlooms, intensify the flavor.

Serves 6

1 lb (454 g) white sweet potatoes

4 Tbsp (60 ml) unsalted butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 medium flavorful tomatoes, such as heirloom, peeled, seeded, and chopped

4 cups (960 ml) beef stock

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tsp (10 ml) chopped parsley

1. Peel the sweet potatoes, thickly slice, put into a 2 quart saucepan, and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and chop coarsely.
2. In a large frying pan, heat butter on medium. Sauté the onion until translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes longer. Put the mixture into a blender or food processor with the sweet potatoes and 1 cup (240 ml) of the stock. Reduce to a smooth purée.
3. Pour purée and rest of stock into saucepan. Season with salt and pepper and reheat. Garnish with chopped parsley.

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Sopa de batata doce is a velvety Portuguese-style sweet potato soup with almost nothing to hide behind — just silky white sweet potato, tomato, and onion in rich beef stock. The butter-sautéed tomatoes add a gentle acidity that keeps the soup from tasting like dessert. Blitzed until completely smooth, it is comfort in under an hour.

Pro Tips

• Use white sweet potatoes if you can find them. They are starchier and less sugary than orange yams, which gives the soup a savory, potato-like body.
• Peel and seed the tomatoes before chopping. The skins and seeds make the purée slightly bitter and leave little flecks in an otherwise velvet-smooth soup.
• Blend the sweet potatoes with one cup of stock first, then thin with the rest. Starting thick gives you a smoother purée than loading the blender all at once.
• Reheat gently after blending. A hard boil can make the butter-enriched purée separate and turn grainy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make sopa de batata doce ahead of time?

Yes, it keeps beautifully for three days in the refrigerator and the flavor deepens overnight. Reheat it slowly over low heat and stir well before serving.

Can I use orange sweet potatoes instead of white?

Yes, though the soup will be sweeter and more orange. If the yams are very sweet, add a squeeze of lemon at the end to balance the bowl.

What can I use instead of beef stock?

Chicken stock gives a lighter but equally savory base. Vegetable stock works too, though the soup will taste more delicate against the sweet potato.

Recipe Card

Stav Kogan

Sopa de Batata Doce

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Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1 lb white sweet potatoes
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 medium flavorful tomatoes, such as heirloom, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 4 cups beef stock
• 2 tsp chopped parsley

Method

 

1. Peel the sweet potatoes, thickly slice, put into a 2 quart saucepan, and cover with cold, salted water.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered until tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Drain and chop coarsely.
4. In a large frying pan, heat butter on medium.
5. Sauté the onion until translucent.
6. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes longer.
7. Put the mixture into a blender or food processor with the sweet potatoes and 1 cup of the stock.
8. Reduce to a smooth purée.
9. Pour purée and rest of stock into saucepan.
10. Season with salt and pepper and reheat.
11. Garnish with chopped parsley.

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