Every now and then I cook something that is so surprisingly delicious, so knee-bucklingly good that I find myself alternately wanting to stop eating it so I can just write up the post and share it with you already…and not wanting to stop eating it because, as I mentioned, it’s just so tasty. This was one of those dishes.

This soup is everything a good BrokeAss dish should be: easy to make, healthy, fancy enough that you could potentially find it in a high-end restaurant and cheap, cheap, cheap. The smooth, creamy sweet potatoes envelop the tart, lightly sweet apples, all with a whisper of slightly spicy, smoky chipotle. Stir the coulis (don’t you just love that word?) into the soup before eating so you get sweet green flecks of cilantro-sweet onion goodness in every bite.

• Ingredients
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Pantry
• 1 red onion, chopped, divided $0.50
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped Pantry
• 1 canned chipotle chili in adobo (that’s 1 chili, not 1 can), plus 1-2 tsp. of the sauce $1.50 for a 7 oz-can
• 1 tart apple (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored and chopped $0.50
• 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs), peeled and chopped $1.50
• 1 very large handful (about 1/2 cup, packed) fresh cilantro leaves $1 for a bunch
• juice of 1 lime $0.50
• 1/2 tsp cumin $1.50 for 1 oz.
• salt and pepper to taste Pantry

Total Cost of Ingredients $7

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add about 3/4 of the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, until translucent and very fragrant. Add the garlic, chipotle, apple and sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add 6 cups of water and cover pot. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until sweet potatoes and apples are very soft.

While soup cooks, puree remaining onion, cilantro, lime juice and cumin in a food processor or blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a small pot. Cook over low heat for 1-2 minutes, just until fragrant. Remove from heat.

Once the soup has finished cooking, puree using a food processor, blender or immersion blender.

Ladle hot soup into bowls and garnish with a spoonful of the cilantro coulis. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.