Roasted Sweet Potato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
Creamy, satisfying sweet potato soup with the ooey-gooey grilled cheesy croutons on top.
We've had soup for dinner four of the last seven nights. I served:
Hamburger Soup - My mom's 5-ingredient recipe: Browned ground beef, canned tomatoes, frozen corn, dried oregano and beef broth)
Greek Lemon-Orzo Soup (made with zucchini 'noodles' instead of orzo and turkey frozen from Thanksgiving) via Feast Magazine
And this Roasted Sweet Potato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons.
The frigid weather makes me crave a hearty bowl of something warm to fill my belly. But I have an ulterior (veggie-centric) motive.
As a dietitian, when my kids come home from school and report that they had two cupcakes (one red, one green!,) a couple candy canes and then a cookie from the piano teacher, I cringe. The holiday eating season is upon us. All of us.
So I try to balance out the December treat-fest with lots of veggies and good protein at dinner. The linked-to soups above are all great options to fill up everyone and provide some extra vegetable antioxidants for a little extra insurance against cold and flu season. Plus most importantly during this crazy time of year, these soup are super easy and speedy to prepare.
This Roasted Sweet Potato Soup originated from Cooking Light. But I added a step to intensify the flavor and sweetness of the sweet potatoes by roasting them for a quick 20 minutes - but you can microwave if you are short on time. I also kept the skins on to add extra fiber and nutrition (many - but not all - of the antioxidants are right beneath the skin, so they are lost in peeling.) The spices were also switched up to better meld with the ooey-gooey grilled Cabot Cheddar croutons I added on top.
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Roasted Sweet Potato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Creamy, satisfying sweet potato soup with the ooey-gooey grilled cheesy croutons on top.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 4 ½ cups low-sodium, fat free chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 thin slices whole grain bread
- 2 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, sliced (I used Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar)
Instructions
- Place half of potato cubes in bowl and toss with ½ tablespoon oil, place on baking sheet; repeat with remaining potatoes on a separate baking sheet. (Roasting in separate trays keeps air circulating so potatoes roast faster.) Roast in preheated 400-degree oven for 15-20 minutes until tender.
- Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes or until translucent. Stir in red pepper. Add broth to pan and roasted sweet potatoes; bring to a boil. Stir in salt and thyme.
- Carefully blend soup until smooth with immersion blender (or use a regular blender pureeing half soup at a time.)
- To make sandwiches, place 3 slices of bread on baking sheet, top with cheese and then remaining slices of bread. Toast in toaster oven (or regular oven) at 400-degrees until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes (watch carefully!) Cut into bite-sized croutons.
- Divide soup evenly among 6 bowls; top with Grilled Cheese Croutons.
It sorta goes without saying, but this sweet-savory soup with fun floating mini-cheese sandwiches was a big winner at the dinner table. The kids didn't even ask for dessert!
If you were stuck on a desert island, is there any soup you can make from scratch without a recipe? Please share!
I think the two biggest dinnertime saviors are Soup and Breakfast 🙂
Hmmm... I feel pretty sure I could make a good coconut soup if I were stuck on a desert island.... maybe 1 cup of coconut milk (not sure how I would break open the coconut), juice of 1 lime and a couple of crushed chiles... drop in a couple of shrimp and cook until the shrimp are cooked and it's warmed throughout.
And from our Cabot farm families to yours, thanks for the mention 🙂
Oh, that coconut soup sounds delish! Hope I get stuck on a desert island soon...or maybe I could just try now in the middle of winter and I'd feel a bit warmer imagining I was on a desert island!
My husband can't have tomatoes, but loves the idea of tomato soup & grilled cheese. This is perfect. He'll be so happy. Me too. Thanks.
Thanks Sherry! Report back and let us know how you and your husband liked the soup and croutons! We thought it was a match made in heaven
Great recipe, and, seriously, can you ever go wrong with Grilled Cheese Croutons??? Oh, and just to let you know, I've had plenty of my own cringe worthy dietitian moments as well 🙂
Thanks for the moral support, EA! MUCH appreciated! (:
I've been surviving on chili for a couple weeks because it's easy to make and fights the cold...I'm thinking it's to switch it up with a batch of this soup! My mouth's watering already 😀
It's such an easy soup Giselle! Plus hope it helps you feel better!
The grilled cheese croutons totally make this for me! GENIUS idea!
Don't you wonder if it was some kid who came up with grilled cheese croutons? His mom told him not to dip his sandwich, so he made them "croutons." (:
Yum I am diggin' the grilled cheese croutons! I always make a rif on my favorite tomato soup with oven roasted tomatoes, carrots and onions. Just add basil and broth and puree. One time, it exploded when I put it in the blender, and I literally licked some off the wall. I am that girl.
Yay! Another easy super flavorful soup. Love how roasting makes the soups so rich with such bold flavor. Honestly, I was really blown away by this sweet potato soup....now I gotta try your version with the roasted tomatoes plus the other roasted veggies! GREAT idea!
Could you substitute the broth with vegetable broth to make it vegetarian ?
Great idea Brandi! Yes, that would work just fine!
I am so obsessed with soup - I could {and usually do} eat it daily. I can make taco soup in my sleep.
That hamburger soup sounds so simple, but this sweet potato soup with grilled cheese croutons... yum!!! It's now on my ever growing "to-make" list. Your recipes never fail to inspire me and the photos are always mouthwateringly gorgeous
Wow, Meme...coming from you that's such a compliment. I feel the same way about your photos and recipes: Inspirational!
This recipe is SO perfect right now because it is finally feeling like Fall in California with our first gloomy day/rainy day. Which means comfort food soup is on my brain and your cabot cheese croutons are warming my heart! Pinned!!
Wow those croutons are an absolute must try. I love this
Mmmmm this looks amazing! I know my family would just love this!