⏳ Yield & Time

Yield: 4 servings

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

🍽 Ingredients

• 2 large Sweet potatoes
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• 1 medium, chopped Onion
• 2 cloves, minced Garlic
• 1 (15-ounce) can, rinsed and drained Black beans
• 4 cups Vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon Chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon (optional) Cayenne pepper
• to taste Salt
• to taste Pepper
• optional, for garnish Sour cream or Greek yogurt
• optional, for garnish Fresh cilantro

📖 Instructions

1. First things first, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Grab about 2 large sweet potatoes, give 'em a scrub, and then pierce them all over with a fork. This prevents explosive sweet potato action in your oven (trust me on this one!).
2. Toss those spuds onto a baking sheet and roast for about 45-60 minutes, or until they're nice and tender, easily pierced with a fork. You know, like a marshmallow... a starchy, orange marshmallow.
3. While the sweet potatoes are doing their thing, grab 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat it up in your large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté 1 chopped onion (about 1 cup) and 2 cloves of minced garlic for about 5 minutes, until softened and fragrant. Don't burn the garlic; nobody likes burnt garlic.
4. Now, add 1 (15-ounce) can of black beans (rinsed and drained – this is crucial!), 4 cups of vegetable broth (or chicken broth, if you prefer), and a teaspoon of cumin, a half-teaspoon of chili powder, and a quarter-teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional, but adds a nice kick!). Stir everything together like you mean it.
5. Once your sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and add it to the pot. Use a potato masher or a fork to break it up a bit. It doesn't have to be perfectly smooth, but we want to get rid of those big chunks.
6. Bring the soup to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and let it gently bubble away for about 15 minutes. This allows the flavors to really meld together and become one with each other—like two lovers holding hands under the summer sun.
7. After 15 minutes, use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it reaches your desired consistency. If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully transfer the soup in batches to a regular blender. Blend until smooth. Please be careful when blending hot liquids; hot soup is a very dangerous thing.
8. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. You might want to add a pinch more cumin, chili powder, salt, or pepper to get it just right. The goal? A flavor bomb of sweet and spicy!
9. Serve hot, and garnish with a dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (optional), and some fresh cilantro (if you're feeling fancy!). Enjoy your delicious and heartwarming sweet potato and black bean soup!

📝 Notes

• For a smoother soup, use an immersion blender or carefully puree in a regular blender. Be cautious when blending hot liquids.
• Feel free to adjust the amount of spices to your liking.
• Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• If you don't have fresh cilantro, you can substitute with parsley or chives.