This recipe is by Paul Labat from Houma. Labat took home second-place honors in the Vegetable/Salad/Soup category of the 33rd annual Bayou Gourmet Cook-Off contest in February with his Roasted Sweet Potato and Andouille Sausage Soup.
4 large roasted sweet potatoes
1 large onion (white or yellow)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 package (three medium links) good andouille sausage
1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium chicken stock (more may be needed)
1 quart of half-and-half (fat free is fine)
Roast sweet potatoes until soft. Make sure they are lightly rubbed with vegetable oil and pierced with a fork or knife before they are roasted in a 350-degree oven for about 60 or 70 minutes.
Peel and coarsely chop the onion and place in a large pot with olive oil over medium heat.
Add the chopped andouille sausage. Cook for five minutes or so, but do not let the onions darken. Take off the heat.
As the onion cools, peel the sweet potatoes and place in a food processor with half of the chicken stock. Purée until completely smooth. Place in a large bowl.
In the same processor, add the cooked onion and sausage along with the remainder of the stock. Purée until smooth. There may be a few small pieces of sausage and you may be tempted to remove, but it’s not necessary.
Add the puréed onion and sausage back in the pot, and then add the potato purée. Place back on medium heat and slowly stir in the half-and-half.
If the mixture is too thick, add more chicken stock. If it appears too thin, do not add all the half-and-half.
Warm on low heat for about 10 minutes. Do not add salt or pepper until you have tasted.
Tip: Serve as a first course or with a piece of French bread on a cold winter day as the entrée.
Makes 10-12 servings.
Source: houmatoday.com
