Sweet Potato Soup

From Southern Living - this was the perfect meal on a cold rainy night ! Just enough kick with the cayenne pepper!

2T olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (from 1 large onion) 

1 cup roughly chopped carrots (3 carrots) 

1 Tbsp. chopped garlic 

3 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 

2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 

1 tsp. black pepper 

1 tsp. ground cumin 

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper 

7 cups chicken stock 

2 Tbsp. salted butter 

1 cup finely chopped pecans 

1/2 cup plain yogurt (we used Greek)

1/4 cup torn fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Cook onion and carrots: Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onion and carrots, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. 

Add garlic, potatoes, and seasonings: Add garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. 

Add sweet potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, salt, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper, and cook, stirring, 1 minute. 

Add stock, and simmer: Add stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until potatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes. 

Toast pecans: Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high. Add pecans, and cook, stirring often, until toasted, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. 

Blend soup: Transfer potato mixture, in batches, to a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender, and place a clean towel over opening in lid. Process until smooth. (Or process soup in Dutch oven using an immersion blender.) 

Serve soup: Top servings with 2 tablespoons pecans, 1 tablespoon yogurt, and 1/2 tablespoon parsley.