Sweet Potato-Garlic Soup With Chile Oil
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:3 to 4 servings
- 1head of garlic
- 2teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 medium), peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3cups low-sodium vegetable stock
- 1teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼teaspoon ground turmeric
- Fine sea salt
- ½cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed
- 2tablespoons red-pepper flakes, such as Aleppo
- 2garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns, crushed
For the Soup
For the Chile Oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
512 calories; 37 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 24 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 44 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 982 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove some of the excess paper from the head of garlic, leaving the bulb intact. Rub the bulb with 2 teaspoons oil and place it in the center of a rimmed baking sheet.
- Step 2
In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes, onion and cumin seeds with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Spread them in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast until the sweet potatoes are slightly caramelized and tender and the garlic has softened, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest until the vegetables are cool enough to handle, about 8 minutes.
- Step 3
While the vegetables roast, prepare the chile oil: In a small saucepan over medium, heat the neutral oil, taking care not to burn it. (Measure the oil’s temperature with a thermometer; it should read about 325 degrees. You could also test the temperature with a Sichuan peppercorn: It should sizzle when tossed in.)
- Step 4
Once the oil is hot, remove it from the heat, add the red-pepper flakes, garlic and Sichuan peppercorns. Cover with a lid and let steep for at least 20 minutes. (The oil can be prepared a day ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.)
- Step 5
Transfer the cooked sweet potato mixture to a blender. Squeeze the softened garlic pulp out of the cloves and add the pulp to the blender. Add ¼ cup stock to the baking sheet and scrape off any bits that have stuck to the pan. Add the stock and bits to the blender. Add the remaining stock, the black pepper and turmeric to the blender and purée on high speed until smooth and creamy. Taste and add salt as needed. Transfer the soup to a medium saucepan and rewarm over low as needed.
- Step 6
Divide the soup among bowls. Give the chile oil a stir and drizzle the soup with a generous tablespoon or two. Serve immediately.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Polina
LOVE THIS SOUP! Added a touch more cumin, a nub of ginger, and 1 tsp ground coriander to roast the onions & garlic. I also subbed out veg stock for chicken stock and cut the top of the garlic off so I could get the garlic out once it was roasted. Didn’t make the chili oil because I had some of my favorite in the pantry, but totally adds to the depth of the dish. Definitely making this again!! So easy!
Martha
2 words:Stick Blender
Chelsea
I just threw cloves of peeled garlic on the pan with the sweet potatoes and the onions, and used a sprinkle of ground cumin to sub for cumin seeds. Used chicken stock and threw in a splash of white wine vinegar at the end. Delicious, hearty, autumn-y.
Han
Found this to be a bit dull for the amount of time required, particularly with the added step of blending it all together. But certainly seems healthy and could be spiced up with ginger and coriander.
Trace
Good! Added more turmeric and cumin, a bit of coriander. Needed more stock to avoid the "baby food" like texture that others commented about. The chili oil makes this dish.
Donna
I really suggest making the chili oil in this recipe rather than using one you just have on hand. The Sichuan peppercorns lens this oil a much more interesting and delicious oil than the store bought chili oils I’ve had.
sus
Add a generous squeeze of lemon and lots of salt to open the flavors after blitzing for like 5 straight minutes. Delicious! I added gochugaru red pepper instead of the Aleppo and it had a beautiful color.
jane
I was surprised that this had 5 stars, I didn’t like this at all, and I generally agree with reviewers on NYT cooking. Maybe it’s because I used a different kind of chili oil? Even so it was really the taste of the soup I disliked.
Martino
It is an excellent dish. I used coconut milk instead of the bouillon and added a few keffir leaves
Pittsburgh kid
Delicious! I added ginger and used store bought chili oil. Also added some lime juice at the end. I think a sprinkle of chopped peanuts would be a nice addition.
Spencer
This was SO good. So many compliments. I added about an inch of ginger, doubled the amount of black pepper and added some white whine vinegar for acid. Also used store bought chili oil as for the amount I use the condiment it’s cheaper to buy than to make. This is a must for any autumn or winter themed meal. Heck I’ll probably make this in the summer too.
Briana
Just made this and it is really delicious. I added another cup of vegetable stock to bring it to 4 total, which improved the texture. I also added 2 tsp ginger as others suggested and it did round the flavors out nicely. I used peanut oil for the chili oil base and it is fantastic, reminds me of Thai style chicken satay. The soup is very versatile as well--would be green with some chopped scallions on top, chopped cilantro, or even a coconut/lime cream swirled in.
Briana
Just made this and it is really delicious. I added another cup of vegetable stock to bring it to 4 total as well as 2 tsp ginger as others suggested--improved texture and flavor. For the chili oil, I used peanut oil and it turned out fantastic. Next time I would leave the onion in larger pieces when roasting. About half of the diced onion pieces were charred and I didn't want to add them in out of fear that it would affect the flavor.
Debbie
So if you’re out of chili flakes but you have chili powder – do not substitute unless you want a big kick! Wow that was much stronger :-)
Leslie
I loved this recipe because I considered it a jumping off point combining this recipe and a couple of others from this site. I added red bell pepper and carrots to the onions. I baked the sweet potatoes whole. For the spices, I also include Chinese 5 spice and za'atar. After I had pureed the potatoes, I added kefir and lemon juice. To the chili oil, I added peanuts. When I served it, I topped it not only with the chili oil, but also with chopped parsley, cilantro, and green onions.
Eli
Lotta people out here saying this soup needs more or tastes weird or something - don't listen to them! I was expecting it to be strange because of all those comments but it was just awesome. Follow your heart fellow cooks.
Jane S
Followed the recipe aside from using two bulbs of garlic instead of one. Would definitely repeat that change. Had to add water to thin it down and it was still a very thick soup. The success of this lies in making the chili oil - the flavor resulting from the Sichuan peppercorns and garlic infused with the chili peppers brings all the other flavors alive without overwhelming them - pour over a generous amount! This is a great, easy to make winter warmer!
susan
This soup was delicious and easily doubled to serve to a group. Based on other previous comments, I added a tbsp of fresh ginger, plus coriander.
Alex
Made the recipe with the exception of the cumin. The vegetables took twice as long to cook as I didn't have a pan big enough to lay them flat. To prevent the szechuan peppers from making their way into the end dish, I used a tea strainer and a coffee cup to make the chili oil. It was alright. The whole dish was meh. In the end the szechuan pepper overpowered everything, the soup itself was ok. I honestly wish I just baked the sweet potatoes. Don't bother with this one.
Michele
I’ve made this twice precisely as directed and loved it. I had some root vegetables left over from Thanksgiving so made this with parsnips, rutabagas, Japanese sweet potatoes, and carrots. Just as good. The smell of the chili oil sizzling is absolutely heavenly!
j
Not a big fan of the taste, and the texture of the soup reminded me of baby food. Disappointing.
GGS Ginger Garlic Scallion
This recipe is odd. With the Asian nod of sweet potato, ginger, and onion, you're looking for ginger to round out the flavor. The soup is a delivery system for the chile oil. The recipe is incomplete without it. You can also sub in a Sichuan pepper oil from a local Chinese or Asian grocery store or order online. I added ginger pulp to mine rather than powder since the other ingredients were fresh. Definitely balanced out the familiar flavor I was looking for in Asian cuisine.
Laura
I added a couple tablespoons of good French butter and used chicken stock because I wanted it to be a little silkier, and amped up the amount of cumin and turmeric. It’s delicious.
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