Sweet Potato & Andouille Bisque

Cast iron recipes from Charmaine Dupré's "Life Around the Table"

by

This is a lovely bisque for a cool day. The spices are an important addition to the sweet potatoes, but the crispy andouille is what sets this soup apart from the rest.

Makes 6 cups

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. canola oil

1 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes

1/2 pound bulk andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1 cup chopped onions

2 cloves minced garlic

1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 qt. chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream (or coconut milk)

Salt and pepper

Thinly sliced green onions, for garnish

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Coat the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the oil and place in a small baking dish. Place the baking dish in the oven and roast the sweet potatoes for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the potatoes are fully roasted and fork tender. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin from the potatoes. Reserve the sweet potato flesh until ready to use. Or pressure cook them in an instant-pot for 20 minutes.
  3. Heat a cast iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the andouille to the pot and sauté until most of the fat has rendered and the meat is well caramelized, stirring constantly, 5 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the andouille and drain on a paper-lined plate. Set aside until ready to use.
  4. Add the onions and sauté until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic to the pot and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the ginger, allspice, cayenne pepper, and chicken stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer.
  5. Add the roasted sweet potatoes to the soup and stir to blend. Simmer for 10 minutes, then blend with an immersion blender or in batches in a bar blender until smooth. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the heavy cream. Season with the salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste.
  6. Garnish with the cooked andouille, chopped green onions and serve.

This recipe is from Charmaine Dupré’s memoir, Life Around the Table: Living the Spirit of Hospitality at Home and Abroad, released on May 1 and available at barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com. For signed copies, Dupré can be reached at cdupre@centurytel.net. Read an excerpt from the book, the chapter "Cast Iron Cooking" in our May 2021 issue.