Sweet Potato Soup with Feta and Za'atar Oil

By lauren
November 10, 2009
28 Comments
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Author Notes: This is a really simple soup to make, and gently flavored with hints of the Middle East, where I was working until just recently. Za'atar is a spice blend that combines dried hyssop, thyme, and sesame seeds and can be found at Middle Eastern grocers or other specialty stores. I had originally conceived of this as a butternut squash soup, but we had an overload of sweet potatoes in the house and so the recipe was amended, luckily to delicious results. Perfect for an autumnal evening. —lauren

Food52 Review: One of the things we like best about this recipe is how lauren takes a few simple ingredients, adds a couple of exotic touches and manages to produce a dish that's both comforting and thrilling at the same time. The soup itself is silky and hearty, the sweetness of the potatoes tempered by the aromatics; a finishing swirl of zaatar oil (zaatar is a Mediterranean seasoning typically containing sesame seeds, thyme, oregano and salt) and a sprinkling of crumbled feta elevate the soup to sophistication. One cooking note: our soup was a bit thick after we pureed it, but a bit of water brought it to just the right consistency. - A&M —The Editors

Serves: 6 to 8

  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons za'atar (see headnote)
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 carrot, peeled and diced
  • 1 leek, white part only, rinsed thoroughly and diced
  • 5 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1/4 cup feta cheese
  1. In a small pot, combine ¼ cup olive oil and the zaatar. Cook over medium heat until hot, but take care not to burn the zaatar. Set aside for at least one hour to cool and infuse.
  2. In a large pot, heat the butter and remaining olive oil over medium high heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion, carrot, and leek, and cook until softened, about five minutes. Add the sweet potato cubes and sauté for another minute. Add the water, stock, and bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Once the soup begins to boil, lower to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Check to make sure the sweet potatoes are completely soft. If not, continue cooking until they are.
  3. Remove the bay leaf and puree the soup using a regular or immersion blender. Check the seasoning and add the salt (you may need more or less depending on what type of stock you used). Ladle out the soup into individual bowls. Crumble some feta into each bowl, and drizzle each bowl with some of the zaatar oil.

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