Sweet Potato Week: For Starters

Well, I made it through my 30th birthday. The day got off to a great start. I walked downstairs to find this from my sweet husband:

Coffee... the man knows the way to my heart. :)

I spent most of the day at home working {so exciting, I know.}, wore the cute Lilly shorts I scored during the summer sale, baked a birthday cake {not for myself, ironically!}, and went to dinner at one of my faves - Seasons 52 - with the hubby. We got home in time to watch the season premier of Modern Family {Love!}, and then I Skyped with my little sister into the last few minutes of my birthday. Overall, not too shabby for a mid-week birthday. :)

Steve works close enough to our new place that he gets to come home for lunch, which I love. It's nice to catch up in the middle of the day and grab a bite together, even though most of the time I'm still at the computer getting work done and he inhales his lunch and is out the door before I can utter a word. Since I didn't feel like getting too involved with cooking {well... more with cleaning up after cooking, really.} on my birthday, I opted for a soup & sandwich combo that was quick & easy to put together.

To stick with my Sweet Potato Week theme, I threw together a fantastic Sweet Potato & Chipotle Soup and a Colby Jack Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Oh, my. That soup was good.

The secret ingredient? Coconut Milk. It lends a rich, silky texture and decadent taste and mellows out the bite from the spicy chipotle. It's a Fall must, friends.

I got the idea for this soup from the menu of a local restaurant, and just put it together the way I thought it should be made. Simple and delicious. Perfect for a starter, a soup & sandwich combo, or as a meal in itself.

Stay tuned this week for more sumptuous sweet potato recipes!

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup
Inspired by Leftovers Cafe

(Serves 2)

1 medium-large sweet potato
1/2 a small onion, diced
1 small chipotle pepper + 1 tbsp adobo sauce from can {2 if you're a spice lover}
1/2 cup coconut milk {reduced fat, if you'd like}
1/4 to 1/3 cup water, depending on how thick you'd like your soup to be
salt to taste
olive oil

1. Pierce sweet potato several times and microwave for 8-10 minutes, checking intermittenly for doneness. {Should be soft like a roasted potato when done. Alternatively, you can cut sweet potato into 1 inch chunks and roast in a 400 degree oven until fork tender. Would probably taste even better this way.}

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespooon olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and saute until softened and translucent, 4-6 minutes.

3. When potato is done cooking, cut open carefully and scoop out the pulp {Be careful, it's hot!}. Put in blender along with sauteed onion, coconut milk, and chipotle pepper with adobo sauce. If blender has a difficult time blending, add small amounts of water until it begins to process smoothly. Puree until smooth. Taste and season with salt if necessary.

4. Pour puree back into warm pot, and heat through until it reaches a simmer.

5. Put in your favorite soup bowl and slurp, sip, or dunk pieces of grilled cheese sandwich in for a warm and delicious treat!