Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon saffron threads
• 6 cups chopped peeled sweet potato (about 2 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
• 7 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 cups chopped spinach

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, celery, minced ginger, dried thyme, and saffron threads, and sauté 5 minutes. Add sweet potato and orange rind, and sauté 3 minutes. Add broth and red pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until potato is tender. Place half of potato mixture in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Pour puréed mixture into a bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining potato mixture. Return puréed mixture to pan. Stir in the spinach, and cook until thoroughly heated.