I must confess, this is a soup I first read about in Bon Appetit in 1991, I can't quite remember the month but it said "City Style" on the cover. It was in my (at the time) favorite section, which was recipes from restaurant menus around the country. Restaurant chefs would serve some delicious dish, and people would write into Bon Appetit begging them to inquire about the recipe, and Bon Appetit would sometimes oblige, and the chef would (I'm quite sure) begrudgingly give them a simplified, blandified recipe with a key ingredient omitted. Nevertheless, I was captivated by a recipe for "sweet potato, corn, and jalapeno soup" and have been making this soup for twenty years. This soup changed the way I make soup. Especially potages and veloutes. It has been carried in my head ever since 1991, which translates to: it probably bears little resemblance to the original. That said, it has been a consistent hit at home and at dinner parties, with the notable exception of a few years when teenage Erika was on a diet rich in chicken fingers. With honey mustard dipping sauce. Recipe follows, which suggests but does not require another must-have kitchen gadget, the stick blender:
Saute half a chopped onion in butter until translucent. Add two cups of low-sodium chicken stock (or make your own!!) and a peeled sweet potato (or yam), or peeled butternut squash, chopped into pieces of maybe 3/4 inch on a side. BTB RTS (bring to boil, reduce to simmer) for 20 minutes until the squash is well cooked through. Now, using a stick blender or using a food processor in batches, puree the soup until it is very smooth. Add a small-diced jalapeno, or even better, a minced chipotle. This gives the soup a nice kick. Dump in a can of whole-kernel sweet corn. Bring this whole mixture back to the boil, then remove from the heat. Stir in a quarter cup (about 60 mL) of heavy cream just until heated through. The cream will dissolve and form velvety "veloute" vesicles on the surface of the soup. Plate immediately and serve.
When I was in New Orleans before Katrina I remember being served a version of this soup at Mr. B's (Brennan's) Bistro that contained pumpkin pie spice and ginger. This is a recipe that, if executed correctly, may form the basis of many other rich soups in your repertoire. I have modified it countless times over the years and have always been satisfied with the results. Good luck!
