Curried Sweet Potato Crab Soup

Here is a first course to serve at any meal. Maple roasted sweet potatoes are combined with a homemade shellfish stock and a touch of curry to yield a creamy, familiar taste with an exotic twist. A topping of roasted corn, fresh crab meat, fresh chive, and pomegranate is the perfect finish to this amazing starter. This recipe contains maple syrup, what I call sweeteners of redemption. By that I mean that although they are a source of dietary sugars, you get some benefit with their consumption; unlike table sugar which is pure sucrose. Maple syrup provides many essential minerals, including calcium, zinc, magnesium, potassium, and especially manganese, which is important for bone health, metabolism, and brain and nerve function. Maple syrup also contains a unique polyphenol or anti-oxidant, quebecol—named after Quebec, the world’s largest producer of maple syrup.

Ingredients:

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and split lengthwise (about 1.5-2 pounds)
2 Tbs maple syrup
2 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 qt. shellfish or light chicken stock
½ cup onion, diced
¼ cup celery, diced
¼ cup carrot, diced
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs flour
½ tsp. mace
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. fresh ground ginger
1 Tbs curry powder
1 Tbs fresh crab (for garnish)
Fresh chive (for garnish)
1 Tbs roasted corn (for garnish)
1 tsp. fresh pomegranate seeds (for garnish)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the sweet potatoes in a baking dish and drizzle with maple syrup, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast until fork-tender, remove and cool. Puree the sweet potatoes and remove any large lumps by running through a food mill or coarse sieve. Heat the butter in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for two to three minutes. Add the celery and carrots. Add the flour and cook for another two minutes. Add the stock and spices and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and add the sweet potato puree. Using an immersion blender or in batches in a food processor puree the mixture until smooth. Garnish with crab and pomegranate seeds.