Blue Moon Soup will appeal to all the children in your house, even the ones who are now just kids at heart. The youngest ones will enjoy having it read to them, recipes and all, while they look at Jane Dyer's enchanting illustrations of dancing broccoli, a marching chicken, and a star-spangled, juggling clown. Hearing about Polka Dot Soup (black bean soup dotted with chopped sweet red pepper) and Brrroccoli Soup au Gratin (cheesy and creamy) might even enchant fussy youngsters
This hot and jazzy sweet potato soup is named after a great jazz club in Kansas City.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
2 tablespoons butter
1 small leek, chopped (1 to 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup chopped chives
3/4 cup sliced mushrooms
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (ask an adult to slice)
1 tablespoon cooking sherry or dry white wine (optional)
1 teaspoon curry
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups milk
Garnish: 1 cup shredded Muenster Cheese, 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms, and 1 bar of great chocolate, broken into bite-size pieces.
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Melt the butter in a soup pot on medium heat.
Add the leek, chives, mushrooms, half of the sweet potatoes, the sherry if using, curry, salt, and pepper. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.
Add the remaining sweet potatoes and 2 cups of water, and stir.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
In a blender or a bowl, blend or mash half the soup with the milk until thick and silky smooth.
Return the blended soup to the soup pot, and stir.
Place soup crocks on a cookie sheet. Ladle soup into crocks, and garnish. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbly.
