Sweet Potato Ancho Soup
Ancho (Ahn-cho) Chile (Capsicum Annum) means Wide Chile Pepper. This chile ranges from 3 – 4 on a heat scale of 1 to 10. An Ancho is the dried form of a Poblano Pepper and often is mislabeled as a Pasilla or Mulato Pepper. Anchos have sweet fruity flavor with hints of cherry, prune, and fig. Anchos, combined with the Pasilla and Guajillo, form the Holy Trinity of chiles used to prepare the traditional mole sauces. Scoville heat units are 1,000 to 3,000.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered (2-1/2 to 3 pounds)
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
3 roasted ancho chiles, stemmed but not seeded
2 tsp. chipotle chiles
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup heavy cream or half & half
salt and pepper, to taste
chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Instructions:
In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and sweat the onions and garlic until they become limp. Add the sweet potatoes, stock, chipotle and ancho chiles and cook at a simmer until the poatoes are cooked and the chiles are soft.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the honey and cream. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth, then season the soup with some salt and pepper and garnish with some chopped cilantro.
Recipe from Chef Dan Gilmore of the Wuksachi Lodge in the Sequoia National Forest.