• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Andrea Meyers logo

  • About
  • Photography
  • The Farm Project
  • Cooking with Kids
  • Grow Your Own
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Flickr
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Photography
  • The Farm Project
  • Cooking with Kids
  • Grow Your Own
    • Flickr
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Photography
    • The Farm Project
    • Cooking with Kids
    • Grow Your Own
    • Flickr
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Soups & Stews

    Creamy Sweet Potato and Leek Soup (From the Pantry: Merkén)

    Jan 21, 2014 · Modified: Jan 1, 2022 by Andrea · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Creamy Sweet Potato and Leek Soup - Andrea Meyers

    We’re more than halfway through January, and yes I’m still working off those holiday pounds. Well, and there might have been a few before that that I’m working on, too. For most of the year we eat pretty healthy, it’s just that time between Halloween and New Year’s Day that is a bit dodgy for us. So we are making many meatless meals this month, focusing on vegetables, and reducing sugar. We had a weekend away for a hockey tournament with less than healthy hotel breakfasts and big restaurant meals, and now it’s back home and back to reality.

    Merkén, a smoked pepper spice mix from Chile - Andrea MeyersWith a few select recipes, I’ve turned my guys into sweet potato fans, but it wasn’t easy, let me tell you. With the right mix of spices, my guys will eat almost anything with sweet potatoes now, which is pretty fantastic because sweet potatoes are very healthy as long as you leave off the super sweet marshmallows. I like them in soup or baked with just a bit of butter or Parmesan sprinkled on top, and my guys even like oven-baked sweet potato fries now.

    This sweet potato soup, which I adapted pretty heavily from Cooking Light, is a favorite at our house. The creaminess comes from the pureed vegetables, making it very light and healthy. In it I use merkén rather than common crushed red pepper. Merkén is a smoked pepper spice mix from Chile, which gives every dish a bit of smoky heat. We’ve been using it for over a year now and love the flavor it adds to meat and vegetable dishes. The spiciness balances the sweetness of this soup very nicely.

    Recipe Notes

    The original recipe from Cooking Light calls for microwaving the potatoes to save time on a busy weeknight. I skip the water bath for the potatoes and just microwave them au natural. I also use leeks instead of onions, vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, and skip the bacon altogether for a meatless dish. Though I must say it’s fabulous with bacon, too.

    Creamy Sweet Potato and Leek Soup - Andrea Meyers
    Print Pin

    Creamy Sweet Potato and Leek Soup

    Adapted from Cooking Light.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: gluten free, sweet potatoes, vegetarian
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 160kcal
    Author: Andrea Meyers

    Equipment

    • 4-quart heavy bottom pot with lid
    • microwave
    • immersion blender or regular blender

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 large)
    • 2 teaspoons olive oil
    • 1 leek (thinly sliced and rinsed well)
    • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon ground merkén
    • 4 cups vegetable stock
    • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

    GARNISH

    • shaved fresh Parmesan cheese (or Grana Padano cheese, or vegan alternative)
    • flat leaf parsley
    • ground merkén
    US Customary - Metric

    Preparation

    • Scrub the sweet potatoes clean and prick them all over with a fork. Microwave according to your manufacturers directions until the potatoes are tender. Cool slightly and peel.
    • Heat the olive oil in the pot and swirl it around. Add the leeks and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the cumin, merkén, vegetable stock, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the sweet potatoes, mashing in gently. Puree the soup with the immersion blender and allow to simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cheese, parsley, and merkén to taste.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 811mg | Potassium: 536mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 22056IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Share in the comments!

    Related Posts

    Curried Peanut, Sweet Potato, and Tomato Soup - Andrea Meyers
    Curried Peanut, Sweet Potato, and Tomato Soup (The Kids Cook Monday)
    Slow Cooker Sweet Potato, Cauliflower, and Broccoli Curry - Andrea Meyers
    Slow Cooker Sweet Potato, Cauliflower, and Broccoli Curry (From the Pantry: Thai Yellow Curry Paste)
    Sweet Potato, Chicken, and Spinach Curry with Quinoa - Andrea Meyers
    Sweet Potato, Chicken, and Spinach Curry with Quinoa

    More Recipes with Sweet Potatoes From Other Blogs

    • Eat Live Travel Write – Vegetarian Chili
    • Apron Strings – Cinnamon Almond Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
    • Kalyn’s Kitchen – Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
    • The Perfect Pantry – Vegan Quinoa Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato, Apples, Dried Cranberries, and Pine Nuts

    [Disclosure: I am a member of the Cooking Light Bloggers' Connection.]

    « Raspberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars (From the Pantry: Truvia® Baking Blend)
    Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas »

    Reader Interactions

    Thanks for visiting! Let me know what you think! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Andrea Meyers photo

    Hi, I'm Andrea Meyers: educator, photographer, tea drinker, avid cook, and gardener. I love helping people learn how to do great things.

    More about me →

    Seasonal Favorites

    • Slow Cooker Cuban-Style Black Beans with Rice
    • Baked Boston Brown Bread
    • Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans (Kids Cook Monday)
    • Slow-Cooker Chicken Korma
    • Roasted Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
    • Country Captain Chicken

    Trending

    • Southern Buttermilk Cornbread
    • Dry Beans and Legumes Cooking Chart (From the Pantry)
    • Colombian Hot Chocolate
    • Cincinnati Chili
    web hosting

    Footer

    Return to the top


    About

    • About Andrea
    • Contact
    • Advocacy
    • FAQs
    • As seen in
    • Work with me

    Policies

    • Privacy Policy
    • Nutrition Disclaimer
    • Comment Policy
    • Accessibility
    • Copyright Policy

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

    ALL PHOTOS AND ORIGINAL TEXT COPYRIGHT © 2005-2022 ANDREA MEYERS PRODUCTIONS LLC
    YOU MAY NOT USE ANY PHOTOS OR ORIGINAL TEXT WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION.