Sweet Potato Soup

Chop all vegetables before beginning to cook.

Heat butter in a large pot (at least 4 quart size) until melted over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes until onions begin to soften. Add leeks and celery and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 3 minutes more. Add sweet potatoes, vegetable broth, cinnamon stick, all the spices, and the maple syrup and stir until combined. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Once the soup begins to boil, simmer uncovered on medium for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender (make sure to include a scoop or two of the broth in each batch) and blend. Make sure to leave space in the blender and don’t fill it too full or the hot mixture will explode. You can also use an immersion blender for this step. Once all soup has been blended, transfer back to the pot and place over medium-low heat. Add half-and-half and stir well. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Serve hot, garnished with chives if you like.

Adapted from Simply Recipes.