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A bowl of sweet potato soup with fried sage on top.

Sweet Potato Sage Soup

Sage adds an earthy flavor to the sweet potato. A small amount of sage gets cooked with the soup then it is topped with crispy fried sage leaves. Frying the sage leaves mellows the bold flavor and makes them quite addictive. You may want to make a double batch of the fried sage leaves just to snack on some of them. 
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Calories: 301kcal
Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

For the Soup

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion sliced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper
  • 1-½ pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cubed (about 4 cups if cut in 1-inch cubes)
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 cinnamon stick

For the fried sage:

  • 1 to 2 bunches of fresh sage leaves
  • ¼ cup canola oil more if you have a large skillet
  • coarse salt

For the maple sour cream:

  • ⅓ cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

Make the soup:

  • Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the thyme, sage, garlic, salt and pepper and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. 
  • Add the sweet potatoes, broth, maple syrup and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. 
  • Remove the cinnamon stick and discard. 
  • Working in batches, process the soup in the blender until smooth (or use a stick blender right in the pot). 
  • Taste and season with salt and pepper. 

For the fried sage:

  • Pinch the leaves off the sage bunch. Heat the oil in a shallow skillet, You may need more than 1/4 cup if you have a larger skillet. Make sure there is at least 1/4 inch of oil in the pan.
  • Test the temperature of the oil by frying one sage leaf. It should sizzle as soon as you drop it in the hot oil. If the oil isn't hot enough, turn the heat up just a smidgen before proceeding.
  • When the oil is hot, work in batches frying 5 to 6 sage leaves at a time. Fry the leaves for 5 to 10 seconds. Don’t let them get brown or they tend to turn bitter. Remove them as soon as the sizzling settles down. 
  • Use a fork to place the leaves on a paper towel to drain and sprinkle them with salt. The leaves will get crisp as they cool down. 

For the maple sour cream:

  • Combine the sour cream, maple syrup, and salt in a bowl. 
  • Garnish the soup with the fried sage and dollops of maple sour cream.

Notes

  • Reserve the crispy fried sage unit just before serving the soup so it stays crispy. If it sits in the soup for too long it will get soft and loose that crispy texture. 
  • Be careful when you drop the sage leaves into the hot oil. Sometimes moisture is released from the leaves and splatters when it hits the oil. If the oil is hot enough they will finish cooking within 5 seconds. If the oil is not very hot then the sage will take much longer to cook and it will soak up a lot of oil in the process.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 326mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g