Sweet Potato Soup with Apple Crisp

Directions

Apple Crisps

1. Preheat oven to 200°F (93°C). Place a wire cooling rack on top of a baking tray. Repeat with a second tray.
2. Remove stems from apples and cut off bottoms. Slice each apple into thin slices (skin on).
3. Carefully remove any seeds keeping apple slices intact.
4. Place apple slices in a large bowl.
5. In a small bowl combine sugar and cinnamon.  
6. Carefully toss apple slices in sugar mixture.
7. Place coated apple slices on wire rack trays (single layer). Allow enough space in between slices to not touch.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 2½ hours (no peeking or touching). Leave pan in the oven, turn oven off and leave light on. Let dry out overnight.
9. Carefully remove from trays and store in a bag on the counter. Do not refrigerate or freeze. 

Sweet Potato Soup

1. In a 6 quart pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic and carrots. Cook over medium-low heat until shallots are translucent (approx. 5 minutes).
2. Add vegetable stock to shallot mixture. Stir for 2 - 3 minutes scraping the bottom of the pot. Add sweet potato, apple, herbs and seasoning. Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring occasionally.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sweet potato and carrots are soft (approx. 20 minutes).
4. Remove from heat and transfer mixture in batches to a blender. Don’t fill blender more than half way. Cover blender with lid and hold lid with a tea towel (contents are extremely hot- may need to vent lid). Pulse the blender to start and then puree until smooth. Repeat with remaining mixture.
5. Transfer puree back to pot. Return to medium-low heat and slowly add cream.
6. Cook until soup is heated through stirring continually. 

 Assembly

1. Pour soup into serving bowls.
2. Optional: Add 3 small droplets of cream to the top of each bowl of soup. Run a toothpick through the droplets of cream to create a design.
3. Place an Apple Crisp on top and sprinkle with optional pumpkin seeds. 
   Yields 4 portions