This soup satisfies winter comfort food cravings without resorting to cheesy, heavy fare. Lighten things up with sweet potatoes, which marry well with salty ham and hot sauce. I’m a fan of Pickapeppa Hot Mango Sauce, available at Global Foods and Jay’s International, for its balance of sweet fruit and spicy kick. If you don’t have a sauce like this, mixing a little maple syrup or agave with a traditional hot sauce is a great substitute.
Most deli ham has just a little fat on it. Don’t trim it; the fat will render as it cooks to add flavor and salt to the soup. Not a meat-eater? Make the soup vegan with vegetable stock and swap the ham for a cup of frozen corn kernels to bulk up the soup.
Sweet Potato Soup with Ham 3 to 5 servings
3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 cup diced thick-sliced ham
1 leek, white parts only, finely chopped
Pinch kosher salt
4 cups chicken broth
3 to 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp. Pickapeppa Hot Mango Sauce
? In a large pot over medium-low heat, saute the ham until just brown, about 5 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
? Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, the leeks and the salt to the pot and raise the heat to medium. Saute 3 to 5 minutes.
? Add the broth to the pot and scrape up any of the browned bits from the bottom. Add the sweet potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.
? Remove the pot from the heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth, or carefully puree in a blender, working in batches. Thin the soup with water as needed to achieve desired consistency. Stir in the hot sauce and the reserved ham. Serve with crusty bread.
This article appears in February 2015.