Andouille and Sweet Potato Soup

By Chef Tim Byres and Chef Josh Trunnell

Ingredients:
Serves 8 quarts

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 1/2 bunch celery, diced finely
• 1/2 cup minced garlic
• 4 quarts chicken broth
• 5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large dice
• 3 pounds Andouille sausage, diced
• 1/2 cup Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Fresh sage, finely sliced, to taste

Instructions:

1. In a 12-quart soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the diced onions, celery, and minced garlic, sautéing until the vegetables have softened. Pour in the chicken stock and add the sweet potatoes. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for about 1 hour, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and can be easily mashed.
2. In a separate pan, cook the sausage in 1/2 cup of oil until fully cooked and slightly caramelized. Drain excess fat.
3. Take the pot off the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Return the pot to the stove and heat until it reaches a gentle simmer.
4. Add the cooked sausage, along with the spices and 2 tablespoons of salt. Stir thoroughly and let it simmer again. Adjust the seasoning with additional salt, black pepper, and Tabasco sauce as desired.
5. Keep the soup warm on the stove, covered, until ready to serve. Each bowl can be garnished with fresh sage just before serving.

Chef Tim Byres, a James Beard award recipient, is the creative force behind establishments like Smoke (Dallas and Plano), Chicken Scratch (Dallas), The Theodore (Dallas), Spork (Dallas), Bolsa (Dallas), and The Foundry (Dallas). He authored the book *Smoke, New Firewood Cooking*. Josh Trunnell serves as executive chef at Seventeen51 Restaurant & Bistro at Panorama (Washington).