Sweet Potato Sausage Soup

I was going to write a post about my thoughts on indie publishing and where the industry is going, blah blah blah. But you know, I have no idea where the industry is going and I haven’t sold enough books yet to give my business building strategies any credibility. And if you’re not an indie author, you probably don’t care anyway.

So, instead, here’s a recipe! I’m currently making it and it smells great and I’m hungry. Although I write about a locavore chef (Russ Keele) who buys only organic, grass fed, free range, heirloom ingredients directly from the farmer (driving his sister nuts in the process; read the books to see what I mean), I’m not quite so picky. Mostly because I can’t afford to be. 

Also, I’m a pantser when it comes to cooking as well as writing. I make it up as I go along.  I’m not great at providing precise measurements or specific cooking times. Sorry. If you find recipes that include  “some” or “until it’s done” annoying, you should probably quit reading now. 

Sweet Potato Sausage Soup
Sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks 
Diced onion
Chopped garlic
Curry powder
Dried savory
Chicken stock (If I don’t have homemade, I use Kirkland Organic from Costco)
Italian sausage (I do a mix of hot and mild) formed into small meatballs
Olive oil
Coconut milk (I’m dairy free, but cream or half and half would work too, although the coconut tastes really nice with the curry. If you don't want to open an entire can of coconut milk for a few spoonfuls, check out So Delicious Culinary Coconut Milk)
Salt and pepper to taste (the sausage is salty, so don’t add any additional salt until the end)

In a heavy bottomed stock pot or sauce pan (depending on how much you’re making), put a little bit of olive oil, enough for sautéing.

1. Over medium-low heat, sauté the onions and garlic until translucent, then add curry powder. How much depends on your personal taste. If you’re not sure, just use a little. You can add more later if you’d like. Stir the curry powder and onion/garlic mixture for a minute or so, to release the flavor a little.
2. Add chopped sweet potatoes. Add enough chicken stock to cover the potatoes completely. Add a teaspoon or so of dried savory. Cover and simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft.
3. When the potatoes are cooked, blend the soup until smooth. A stick blender works really well if you have one. Otherwise a regular blender works too. If the blended soup is too thick add more chicken stock. You need the mixture liquid enough that you can boil the sausage in it. 
4. Bring the blended soup to a slow boil and add the sausage. Simmer until the sausage is cooked through.
5. Stir in a few spoonfuls of coconut milk (or dairy milk or cream). Add salt and pepper to taste.