I saw this recipe in the latest Cook’s Illustrated, and it looked so bizarre I had to try it. You put the peels in the soup?! So weird! My personal additions were limited to some chipotle powder, because I feel like you can’t have sweet potatoes without some of that smoky spice. Cook’s Illustrated currently has a video detailing this recipe on their website, but I don’t know how long it will be available for non-subscribers. I tried to make an artful drizzle, but it’s kind of… Pollock-y, at best.

4 Tbsp butter
1 shallot, thinly sliced
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 1/2 cups water
2 lbs. sweet potatoes (garnet yams), peeled, halved and sliced 1/4″ thick, plus 1/4 of their peels reserved
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp ground chipotle powder
extra salt and pepper to taste
minced chives (optional garnish)

Melt butter in a pot. Add shallot and thyme and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, until the shallot has softened but not browned. Add water and bring to a boil over high heat (I boiled the water ahead to cut down on the time it would take everything to get hot). Once boiling, turn off the heat and remove the pot to a cool burner. Add the sweet potatoes and peels and let sit uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice so everything gets a chance to be below the water level.

Add sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and chipotle powder. Bring back to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium low and cover. Cook until potatoes are very soft, 10–15 minutes.

Discard thyme sprigs. Puree the soup with a stick blender (or in batches in a normal blender) until smooth. Return the soup to a simmer and adjust thickness with water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with optional minced chives and a drizzle of…

Maple Sour Cream

1/3 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp real maple syrup

mix together. voila.