Comfort Food

I was so excited for a nice, cozy, hot soup on a chilly fall day. Then the day I made it ended up being super sunny and warm. What gives?

As you'll soon see, this recipe calls for sweet potatoes. I always knew there was a difference between yams and sweet potatoes, but I never really knew what it is. And, although I knew there was a difference, that didn't stop me from believing that they are interchangeable. So, I've done some research aaaaand I'm more confused then when I started. Sometimes the internet can seem pretty useless.

So I got out my handy dandy Mary Margaret McBride Encyclopedia of Cooking Copyright @ 1959. It was my grandmas and it makes me miss her. I really need to use this thing more often, it's a gem.

This is what it told me.

So, yea. I'm still a little confused, but it seems like it's not a huge deal if you use yams, when sweet potatoes are called for, or vise versa because you aren't going to find any "real" yams around these parts anyway. 

Broccoli Cheddar Soup


You will need:

• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups half and half
• 1 lb russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped 
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
• 1/2 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/3 cup)
• croutons for topping

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the potatoes, chicken broth, half and half, bay leaf, 2 cups of water, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and let simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile steam your broccoli. I used the frozen Wegmans Organic Broccoli that steams in the bag. 

When the potatoes are tender, remove the bay leaf from the soup and either transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth, leaving the filler cap slightly open to release steam (you may have to do this in batches), or puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender. Return the soup to the pot (if using the blender), and thin with water if necessary. Return to a simmer over medium low heat; stir in broccoli and season with salt and pepper.

Add the cheese and stir until melted. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with extra cheese and croutons if desired.

I feel like next time I would add more cheese and maybe two different types of cheese, to give it a more cheesy taste and creamy texture.

Source: Food Network Magazine