Yam/Sweet Potato and Brandy Soup

• 3 large sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped Vidalia onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 2 cubes chicken bouillon
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 tablespoon allspice
• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add sweet potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool, peel, and mash. Set aside.
2. In a medium skillet over medium high heat, cook and stir onions in olive oil until translucent. Add white wine, red wine, and brandy, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add mashed sweet potatoes, stirring to incorporate. Dissolve bouillon cubes in water and add to the soup with the allspice. Simmer another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

In my usual style of recipe-as-suggestion I made a few adjustments, I used a purple onion instead (all I had!) and it was good, and substituted sherry for the brandy & white wine (since Sherry is like the two together). I peeled the yams before boiling them, but next time would probably bake them instead, and scoop out the fluffy baked goodness in order to make a smoother soup. Although if I were to boil them again I would save the water from boiling to use instead of plain water in mixing up the chicken broth.

I served this with pork chops tossed in olive oil, sherry, rosemary, salt & pepper, then baked in the oven at 350 for about 25 minutes, flipping them once, and they went REALLY nicely with the soup.