Fall Soup Obsession Expirements #2 and #3 . . .

Ok, so I'm still on my fall soups kick . . . just haven't had time to write about them lately.  So, expirement #2 was a Tequila Pork Chili Verde, which sadly, was lackluster at best (hence why I am only including a link to the recipe, and not putting the whole recipe out here for you to review).  Ultimately, the recipe was missing something . . . but my non-Julia-Child cooking talent could not figure out what it was.  The taste was . . . Flat.  Missing something.  *Sigh* and I still ate it for a week because I am NOT one to waste food.  Let's just say, my tastebuds were depressed that week. 

On to greener pastures and better soups . . . Expirement #3!  For this recipe, I tried a Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup (with chili and lime) (recipe below as well).  This is a WONDERFUL alternative to a chicken noodle soup!  It's thick and hearty, but not as heavy as a chili or the afforementioned Carribean Black Bean soup.  The flavor is not nearly as complex as the Black Bean Soup, either; I can see this quickly becoming a "sick day" staple for me, as it's fairly easy to prepare, and a great bone-warming, soul food.  I *LOVE* soul food.

Minor changes I made:

1. Less Chicken broth, becuase I prefer thicker, stew like soups . . . I only used 5 cups of Chicken broth instead of the recommended 8.  This reduced the overall servings of the recipe to 6 instead of 10 servings. 
2. No Cilantro because it tastes like soap.  Seriously, it does . . .

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  olive oil
• 2  tablespoons  unsalted butter
• 2  medium yellow onions, diced (3 cups)
• 4  celery ribs, diced (1 cup)
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  jalapeño peppers, roasted, or 2 teaspoons chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1  teaspoon  dried basil
• 1  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 2  teaspoons  sea salt
• 1  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 1 pound or 3 cups)
• 8  cups  low-sodium chicken broth
• 3  bay leaves
• 3  cups  cooked shredded chicken (about 1 pound boneless chicken breasts)
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges

Preparation

1. Heat oil and butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until butter melts. Add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until tender and almost caramelized. Add celery, and cook, stirring often, 10 more minutes. Add garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds, being careful not to brown garlic.
2. Add peppers and next 4 ingredients, and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Add sweet potatoes, broth, and bay leaves; bring soup to a low boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for about 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in chicken, and cook 2 more minutes. Skim any foam from the top of the soup while cooking, and discard. Remove bay leaves, and discard. Divide soup evenly among individual bowls, and top with cilantro and lime wedges. Serve immediately.