Roasted Italian Sweet Potato Soup

INGREDIENTS

2 large sweet potatoes peeled, and sliced in thin French-fry wedges (or 4 small sweet potatoes)

2-3 tbsp. olive oil

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 large cloves garlic minced

1 heaping tablespoon dried parsley

1/4 cup fresh chives sliced

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary

1 heaping tablespoon dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

16 oz. ctn. vegetable broth

3 cups almond milk

fresh thyme, oregano, basil or rosemary, for garnish if desired

1/2 cup roasted sweet potatoes for garnish, if desired

fresh parmesan cheese shavings for garnish, if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel sweet potatoes and slice down into thin French fry-type wedges.
Place in a 10×15” glass baking dish sprayed with olive oil cooking spray or a parchment paper-lined large cookie sheet.
Brush with 2-3 tbsp. olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Measure 1/3 cup olive oil into a glass measuring cup.
Add garlic, parsley, chives, thyme, rosemary, basil and oregano.
Stir to combine.
Brush potatoes with garlic-Italian seasonings mixture and spread out into pan as evenly as possible.
Cover with foil, and bake about 30 minutes at 400°.
Turn potatoes over and bake uncovered until fork tender—about 5-10 more minutes.
Remove sweet potatoes and drippings to a large Dutch oven.
If desired, set aside about half a cup for garnish.
Mash potatoes with a potato masher.
(Don’t make it too smooth. You’re looking to leave some texture.)
Stir in vegetable broth and almond milk and heat through over low heat.
Remove from heat.
If desired, you can puree soup with an immersion blender at this point. See note below.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh thyme, rosemary, basil or oregano as desired.
Add reserved roasted sweet potatoes on top of soup.

RECIPE NOTES

You can use fresh herbs for this if you have them. I would use about ¼ cup fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon of thyme, rosemary, and oregano, and about 4 large basil leaves chopped.
Be careful that the sweet potatoes don’t scorch or brown when you uncover the foil.
You may also enjoy the soup pureed. After adding almond milk, puree ingredients with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Garnish soup with additional thyme and parmesan cheese shavings, as desired.