Sweet Potato and Brown Ale Soup with Crispy Sage and Pomegranates
Sweet Potato and Brown Ale Soup with Crispy Sage and Pomegranates #soup #recipe #beer #sweetpotato #pomegranate #fall
Do you ever get wrong number phone calls?
I’m a bit of a magnet for them, even though I’ve had my current cell phone number since I was a teenager.
I get the same woman calling me about once a month, and she never remembers that she has the wrong number. Although I don’t know for sure what she looks like, in my head she is an older African-American woman, in a floral bathrobe sitting at a vintage oak dinning table sipping Taster Choice out of an old mug.
This was our most recent conversation:
My phone rings, I know it’s her.
Me: “Hi!”
Her: “Oh…Um…do I have the right number?”
Me: “Honey, you’ve called me every month for the past two years and this still isn’t the right number.”
Her, laughing: “Girl! Haha! Do I really? Aren’t you a sweetheart! Why you keep takin’ my calls?!”
Me: “Because if I don’t answer you just keep calling! Plus, I’ve gotten used to this.”
Her: “You are so sweet! You’re my girl. I won’t call you again, I promise! So nice to talk to you again.”
Me: ” Ok, hon. Talk to you next month.”
And I hope I do.
I have her number saved in my phone as Mrs. Tasters Choice and when her number pops up, I get a big smile on my face. She’s told me stories about a friend of hers in the hospital, about how she used to sell pies at Penn Station, about her husband that passed away a few years ago from a heart attack right in the middle of a Sizzler. She’s seen hard times, that’s obvious, but she’s the kind of woman who chooses to be happy, to brighten people’s day. At least that’s what she always does for me.
Ingredients
- 4 tbs unsalted butter
- ¼ cup chopped shallots
- 3 tbs flour
- 2 tbs brown sugar (if using orange sweet potatoes, reduce to 1 tbs)
- 12 oz brown ale
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 3 lbs (6 cups) white sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tbs olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh sage leaves
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
Directions
- Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the shallots, cooking until softened. Sprinkle with flour, stir until well combined, thickened and flour has browned.
- Add the brown sugar, brown ale, and chicken broth, stir to combine.
- Add the sweet potatoes, cook until potatoes are fork tender. Remove from heat.
- Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.
- Stir in the salt, pepper, cayenne and heavy cream.
- Heat the olive oil in a small sauce pan over medium high heat until hot but not smoking.
- Add the sage leaves, fry on both sides until crispy, about 10 seconds per side. Remove from oil, allow to drain on paper towels.
- Spoon soup into the bowl, top with sage leaves and pomegranate seeds.
Comments
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar October 6, 2014 um 12:19 am
Wrong number phone calls neeeeeever happen to me anymore. I don’t answer when I don’t know who’s calling!! Soup…even if I don’t know the flavour, I’m down. No introduction needed!
Tieghan October 6, 2014 um 5:49 am
I am always down for a little ale soup and I love sweet potatoes and pomegranates. Clearly this is the soup for me!
Sophia @ NY Foodgasm October 6, 2014 um 8:05 am
Damn this looks good! I love the fall flavors happening with the smooth brown ale.
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom October 6, 2014 um 11:50 am
oh my gawd, I love this story and that you saved her phone number into your phone . . that’s so sweet that you guys have had actual conversations. I love hearing things like this. . brings some humanity and real connectedness into this digital age of ours. Oh, and this soup is perfection.
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com October 6, 2014 um 7:46 pm
This has to be the most beautiful soup thus far!
Tuesday Hoover October 7, 2014 um 11:20 am
This soup sounds sumptuous! I am going to make this for my family on Thanksgiving. Just one example question: Do you have to pre-bake or cook the sweet potatoes in any way before adding them to the pot?? Thank you!
Jackie October 7, 2014 um 5:59 pm
No, they actually cook pretty quickly in liquid.
Tuesday Hoover October 8, 2014 um 4:39 am
That’s great, thank you!
Michael October 7, 2014 um 3:03 pm
This is the perfect time for a soup like this. The weather is changing and you need something to warm your bones a little. This would be a great thing to eat when feeling chilly.
addie | culicurious October 8, 2014 um 5:14 pm
what an amazing looking soup, Jackie. Such great flavor combinations. You’re great with this stuff.
Also – that lady sounds sweet. 🙂
Suella Lory January 12, 2015 um 7:20 pm
Made this for my family – all adults-and we loved it. Fantastic. Made it just as the recipe said. You have some wonderful recipes here. Thank you.