Sweet Potato and Andouille Soup

By Chef Tim Byres and Chef Josh Trunnell

Ingredients:
Yields 8 quarts

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 onions, medium diced
• 1/2 bunch of celery, small dice
• 1/2 cup garlic, minced
• 4 quarts chicken stock
• 5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, large dice
• 3 pounds Andouille sausage, small dice
• 1/2 cup Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons salt
• ground pepper to taste
• fresh sage, fine chiffonade, to taste

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a 12-quart soup pot over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, and garlic. Sauté until vegetables are tender. Add stock and sweet potatoes. Bring soup to a simmer and cook until sweet potatoes fall apart, about 1 hour.
2. Pan-fry sausage in 1/2 cup oil until done and lightly caramelized. Drain.
3. Remove soup from the stove and puree with immersion blender. Return soup to the stove and bring to a simmer.
4. Add sausage, spices, and 2 tbsp. of salt. Mix well and bring to a simmer. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce.
5. Hot hold soup, covered, for service. Garnish each serving with fresh sage.

James Beard award-winner, Tim Byres, is co-owner and food mastermind behind Smoke (Dallas and Plano), Chicken Scratch (Dallas), The Theodore (Dallas), Spork (Dallas), Bolsa (Dallas), and The Foundry (Dallas). He is the author of Smoke, New Firewood Cooking. Josh Trunnell is the executive chef of Seventeen51 Restaurant & Bistro At Panorama (Washington).