Sweet Potato Bisque Recipe: Tips for Making the Silky Bisque

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 ripe pear, diced
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• ⅔ cup spiced apple cider
• 4 cups vegetable broth or vegetable stock (or chicken broth or chicken stock)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
• ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas), for garnish

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. 2

   Use a fork to poke holes in the sweet potatoes in several places.

3. 3

   Place the sweet potatoes on an aluminum foil-lined sheet pan. Bake the potatoes until they are very tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and set it aside.

4. 4

   Slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh when they’re cool enough to handle.

5. 5

   Place the sweet potato flesh in a food processor, and blend until smooth.

6. 6

   Heat the oil in a large saucepan, Dutch oven, or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.

7. 7

   Add the onions and diced pear to the pot. Sauté until the onions are translucent and the pears fall apart, about 5–7 minutes.

8. 8

   Add the sweet potato purée, along with the ground cinnamon and nutmeg.

9. 9

   Season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until the sweet potato begins to caramelize, about 1–2 minutes.

10. 10

    Add the apple cider and vegetable broth and stir well to combine. Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by a third, about 15–20 minutes.

11. 11

    Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool slightly.

12. 12

    Use an immersion blender to purée the mixture until it is uniformly smooth. Alternatively, transfer the soup to a blender, working in batches if needed.

13. 13

    Meanwhile, combine the heavy cream and the split vanilla pod and seeds in a small saucepan over low heat. Heat, whisking to disperse the vanilla, just until steam rises around the edges of the cream, then remove the pan from the heat and set it aside. Remove the vanilla pod and reserve 2 tablespoons of cream for garnish.

14. 14

    Toast the pepitas in a small skillet until golden brown. Transfer the pepitas to a small bowl and season them with salt.
    

15. 15

    Return the puréed soup to medium-low heat, and drizzle in the vanilla cream. Stir to incorporate, then remove the pan from the heat.

16. 16

    Ladle the bisque into serving bowls and top it with seasoned pepitas and the reserved cream.
    

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