persian sweet potato soup

this recipe is so much greater than the sum of its parts. It is a satiating meal that leaves you feeling light, and is also a perfect postpartum pick-me-up. Super smooth, silky, and creamy even without cream. We steam sweet potatoes to coax out all their delicate sweetness, then puree with fiber-rich leeks, antioxidant powerhouse pomegranate, and our mineralizing, restorative broth. A spritz of lime, thyme, and sesame seed and feta za'atar brings Persian flair.

This has been a top favorite of our San Francisco and Nashville private chef clients for many years.

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup za’atar 

1 tablespoon butter

1 onion, peeled and diced

1 leek, rinsed thoroughly and diced (can do all onion if you can’t find leeks!)

salt, to taste

2 cloves garlic 

5 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

Chicken stock, just enough to cover veggies by 1/2 inch in the pot 

1/2 cup pomegranate juice 

2 bay leaves

¼ cup feta

Optional parsley, dill, pomegranate arils, lime juice

In a small pot, combine 1/2 cup olive oil and the za’atar. Cook over medium-low heat until just sizzling, about 1 minute, but take care not to burn the za’atar. Set aside for at least thirty minutes to cool and infuse.

In a large dutch oven,heat the butter and remaining olive oil over medium high heat.

When the butter has melted, add the onion and leek, season liberally with salt, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sweet potato cubes and garlic, and more salt, and sauté for another minute. Add the stock, pomegranate juice, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Once the soup begins to boil, lower to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes. Check to make sure the sweet potatoes are completely soft. If not, continue cooking until they are.

Remove the bay leaf and puree the soup using a high powered blender . Check the seasoning and add salt if needed (you may need more or less depending on the stock you used).

Ladle out the soup into individual bowls.

Crumble some feta into each bowl, and drizzle each bowl with some of the za’atar oil. Bonus points for adding pomegranate arils and herbs!