This Sweet Potato Tomatillo Bisque is simple and comforting. Sweet potatoes, tomatillos and roma tomatoes are roasted and pureed with broth, sherried sautéed shallots and garlic for a velvety smooth and flavorful soup. Yields 6 (1-cup) servings or 4 (1½-cup) servings.
I could never be sick of soup.
The moment Michigan’s weather hits below 70° it’s soup season, at least in our house it is. From then on I make at least one soup recipe a week for dinner, and this week I remade and reshot an oldie but goodie – Sweet Potato Tomatillo Bisque. This super velvety and flavorful soup is the perfect end-of-summer and beginning and throughout fall recipe. It consists of simple whole ingredients; roasted sweet potatoes, tomatillos, roma tomatoes and a jalapeño blended with sherried shallots and garlic and then combined with broth.
It’s a little sweet, earthy and garlicky with a little back of the throat heat.
And I couldn’t love it more.
To Make This Sweet Potato Tomatillo Soup Will Need:
- sweet potatoes – I try to buy sweet potatoes similar in size so they roast evenly.
- tomatillos – Lends a smoky, mellow and slightly sweet tangy flavor once roasted.
- roma tomatoes – Lends sweetness, sweet and savory with rich umami flavor.
- jalapeño – Remove the seeds and ribs for less heat.
- olive oil – Lends richness and flavor.
- kosher salt – Softens vegetables while sautéing and roasting and enhances flavors.
- shallot – Adds delicate onion flavor.
- garlic – Adds distinct punchy flavor.
- dry sherry wine – Lends complex and nutty flavor to soup.
- low-sodium chicken broth – Or use low-sodium vegetable broth if vegetarian.
- white pepper – Or freshly ground black pepper.
Preheat your oven to 450°F (or 230℃).
Scrub 1½ pounds of sweet potatoes, pat dry and place them on a rimmed quarter baking sheet. Stab the tops with a fork or knife to allow steam escape when roasting. Then set off to the side.
Line a separate quarter sheet pan with foil (for easier clean up). Cut 8 to 10 medium tomatillos (about 3/4 of a pound), 2 roma tomatoes and 1 medium jalapeño (seeds and ribs removed for less heat) in half and place cut side up (except for the jalapeño) onto the prepare pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt.
Note: Remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeño for less heat.
Slide both pans into your preheated oven. Roast the tomatillos/tomatoes/jalapeno for 25 to 30 minutes and remove. Continue roasting the sweet potatoes until a knife glides through effortlessly, about 20 to 30 minutes more (45-60 minutes total, depending on size).
Once the pan with the tomatillos have roasted, add them along with any juices that accumulated in the pan, into a high-speed blender (I linked mine below in the printable recipe).
Meanwhile, add 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 medium shallot with a pinch of salt to a 4-quart dutch oven.
Stir a cook 4 to 6 minutes until softened. Then add in 6 cloves of minced fresh garlic.
Stir and cook for 1 minute. Lastly, pour in 1/4 cup of sherry wine, bring to a bubble and reduce until most of it has reduced.
Once the sweet potatoes have cooled enough so they are safe to handle, remove the skin and add the flesh into the blender. Next add in the sautéed shallot and garlic.
Lastly pour in 1½ cups of low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth.
Secure the lid to your blender, remove the center plug out of the lid and cover with a kitchen towel while pureeing until smooth. Stop once the mixture smooth, velvety and gorgeous.
Pour the purée into a 4-quart Dutch oven and add the remaining 2½ cups of broth. Stir to combine. Feel free to add more broth until you reach a desired consistency.
Taste and season with 1½ to 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon white or black ground pepper.
Stir well to incorporate and heat over medium-low until warmed through.
This is the perfect late summer, early fall soup and did I mention that it’s so incredibly smooth?! I love a super smooth soup, but I also need that super smooth soup to have some sort of texture.
So I like to serve it topped with homemade croutons, roasted pepitas and snipped fresh chives.
HOW TO STORE Sweet Potato Tomatillo SOUP:
Allow the soup to cool completely before storing in an air-tight container or containers.
HOW LONG WILL Sweet Potato Tomatillo LAST?
If stored properly, this soup will last 3 to 5 days.
CAN THIS SOUP BE FROZEN?
Yes! Allow the soup to cool completely and store in freezer safe container. Thaw and then reheat low and slowly on the stovetop.
MAKE IT A MEAL:
I like to serve it with a grilled cheese sandwich and/or this Michigan cherry salad or this ancient grain and arugula salad.
Enjoy! And if you give this Sweet Potato Tomatillo Soup recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
Sweet Potato Tomatillo Bisque
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds sweet potatoes
- 3/4 pound tomatillos, halved horizontally
- 2 medium to small roma tomatoes, halved horizontally
- 1 small jalapeño, halved horizontally, seeds and ribs removed for less heat
- extra light olive oil
- kosher salt
- 1 medium shallot, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 1/4 cup dry sherry wine, or just use water or broth
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, or more until reached desired consistency
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
- homemade croutons
- pepitas
- snipped fresh chives
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F (or 230℃).
- Scrub the sweet potatoes, pat dry and place them on a rimmed quarter sheet pan. Stab the tops with a fork or knife to allow steam escape when roasting. Then set off to the side.Place the tomatillos, roma tomatoes and jalapeño cut side facing up (except for the jalapeño) onto a separate rimmed quarter baking sheet pan lined with foil (for easier clean up). Drizzle the pan with the tomatillos with olive oil and season with kosher salt.
- Slide both pans into your preheated oven. Roast the tomatillo/tomato/jalapeño for 25 to 30 minutes and remove. Continue roasting the sweet potatoes until a fork or knife glides through effortlessly, about 20 to 30 minutes more (45-60 minutes total, depending on size).
- Meanwhile in a small 4-quart dutch oven, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat. Add in shallots plus a pinch of kosher salt and sauté until soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add in garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the dry sherry and simmer until almost completely reduced/evaporated.
- Once the pan with the tomatillos have roasted, add them along with any juices that accumulated in the pan, into a high-speed blender.
- Allow the potatoes to cool until safe to handle, peel back the skins and use a spoon to scoop the flesh out adding it into the blender. Next add the sherried shallots and garlic and 1½ cups of broth.
- Secure the lid to your blender, remove the center plug out of the lid and cover with a kitchen towel while pureeing until smooth. Stop once the mixture is velvety smooth.
- Pour the puree back into a 4-quart Dutch oven and heat over medium-low. Add in the remaining broth until heated through. You can add more broth if needed to reach a desired consistency. Taste and season with 1½ to 2 teaspoons kosher salt (more or less to personal taste) and white or black ground pepper. Continue to stir and heat the soup thoroughly.
- Once soup is hot, ladle into bowls and top with croutons, pepitas and a sprinkle snipped fresh chives if desired.
Notes
This recipe was originally posted on October 8th, 2014 and has been updated with clear and concise instructions, new photography and helpful information.
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This soup is gorgeous. I love the idea of adding tomatillos to it!
Looks just great but I think that if I try to do it I’ll fail completely.
This soup is gorgeous. That bright yellow color is just stunning. Keep pulling out that soup card!
This is so perfect for fall! I love that you added tomatillos!
I am so making this…
I pull out the soup card all the time…but as long as I make some garlic toast, no one seems to care…
This is the prettiest soup I’ve ever seen! It’s nice you don’t have to share it 🙂
I just made this, it turned out perfectly! Thanks for sharing!
This is fantastic! I stumbled across it looking for tomatillo recipes that weren’t salsa verde as my freezer is already full of that (three different varieties). I made it with butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes because I had that from my garden as well. Since I’m a vegetarian, I used vegetable broth instead of chicken. I think I’ll freeze the rest of my tomatillos whole so I can enjoy this a few more times this fall and into winter. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Sara! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! And I’m totallt intrigued that you used butternut squash. I’m going to have to try that ASAP! <3
we dont have fresh tomatillo where I live, can I use can tomatillos for this superb recipe?
Hi Monique! I would think so. Perhaps omit the roasting step for the tomatillos? Enjoy!
This was very good. My homegrown tomatillos aren’t nearly as large as yours for some reason. Mine are about the size of a cherry tomato. Since I had a lot less tomatillos, I substituted green tomatoes for part of it. Together with some homegrown peppers, it tastes amazing. I used broth instead of sherry to cook the onions in, and only added 1 cup of broth at the end. I love the texture, which is unusual for me. I usually prefer chowder or stew.
Hi Laurie!
Your recipe looks delicious . . . it is so pretty to look at!
I’ve never cooked with Tomatillos before so I am really looking forward to trying this soup. I just need to find some at the grocers!
I’ve made so many or your recipes and they all have been a hit and make repeat appearances in the house, so I have every faith this soup will be another winner. (I’m with you . . . making soup is one of my favourite things to do, especially as our weather changes chilly! Which is happening now!)
“Thank you, Laurie, for sharing your creativity with your readers!
“Happy Fall”, Laurie, and Warmest Wishes from The Canadian Prairies!