Tamarind Sweet Potato Bisque

The pods of the tamarind tree yield a sweet-sour pulp that flavors many Dutch, Indonesian, and East Indian dishes. You can find tamarind paste in specialty food stores or online at www.spicesgalore1.com and www.quickspice.com. A little goes a long way, so measure carefully.

Yield: 5 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 3 1/4  cups  (1-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
• 3  cups  vegetable broth
• 1  cup  water
• 1/2  cup  chopped onion
• 1/2  cup  orange juice
• 2  tablespoons  plum vinegar
• 2  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  dark sesame oil
• 1  teaspoon  tamarind paste
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1  fresh lemongrass stalk, halved lengthwise

Preparation

Place all ingredients in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 5 hours. Discard lemongrass. Place half of the potato mixture in blender, and process until smooth. Pour the pureed potato mixture into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with the remaining potato mixture.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

133 (14% from fat)

Fat:

2.1g (sat 0.3g,mono 0.6g,poly 0.7g)

Protein:

3g

Carbohydrate:

27.2g

Fiber:

3.1g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

0.8mg

Sodium:

627mg

Calcium:

27mg