Autumn sweet potato and mushroom soup

This Sept. 8, 2017 photo provided by The Culinary Institute of America shows autumn sweet potato and mushroom soup in Hyde Park, N.Y. This dish is from a recipe by the CIA. (Phil Mansfield/The Culinary Institute of America via AP)

Servings: 4

Total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes (Active time: 30 minutes)

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt, as needed

Freshly ground black pepper, as needed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

1 cup diced yellow onion

1/2 cup diced shallot

4 cloves garlic, diced

2 portobello mushroom caps, roughly chopped

1 cup heavy cream

2 sprigs rosemary, minced

2 dried bay leaves

2 cups vegetable stock

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup celery leaves, for garnish

2 ounces Camembert cheese, cubed, for garnish

8 prepared sweet potato chips, as needed for garnish

1/4 cup creme fraiche, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 F. In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and a pinch of salt, and toss to combine. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, shallot, garlic, and mushroom and cook until the vegetables are softened and the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes.

Add the reserved potatoes, cream, rosemary, and bay leaves. Cover and simmer to blend ingredients, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves, and carefully transfer the sweet potato mixture to a blender. Blend until smooth.

Return the mixture to the soup pot and add the vegetable stock. Simmer over medium heat, uncovered, until the mixture has reduced slightly and is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper, as needed, and serve with Worcestershire sauce, celery leaves, Camembert, sweet potato chips, and creme fraiche, if using.

Nutrition information per serving: 414 calories; 278 calories from fat; 31 g fat (18 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 97 mg cholesterol; 548 mg sodium; 31 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 13 g sugar; 6 g protein.

This article was provided to The Associated Press by The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.