Cheesy Sweet Potato and Leek Soup

The picture doesn't do it justice...this soup is SOOOOO good!!!

Well, friends, the holiday season is in full swing and you know what that means—we are all BUSY. There are gifts to purchase and wrap, decorating to be done, parties to attend…and that’s all on top of our normal hectic schedules. It’s may be the most wonderful time of the year, but this mama could seriously use a few more hours in the day to get things done.

Now more than ever, I’m thankful for easy recipes I can toss in the Crock Pot. And this time of year is perfect for slow cooker soups. When I saw this one on Pinterest I seriously couldn’t stop drooling. But I wanted to make a healthier version so I swapped the hash browns for sweet potatoes, ditched the butter and half and half, used all cream of portabella mushroom soup, and added leeks and chicken broth. It still contains a cup and a half of cheddar cheese but hey, you’ve gotta keep at least one of the naughty ingredients, right? Here’s what I came up with.

Cheesy Sweet Potato and Leek Soup
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
Olive oil spray
3 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup leeks, chopped
3 cups of condensed cream of mushroom soup (about 2 standard cans)***
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded (you can use reduced fat cheese if you prefer)
2 cups chicken broth or stock
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper

***I used 3 boxes of Trader Joe’s Condensed Cream of Portabella Mushroom Soup but it’s seasonal so it may not be available for much longer.

Directions:
Lightly spritz Crock Pot with olive oil spray. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours or until sweet potatoes are tender and cooked through.

“Swap”tions:
You could easily make this a vegetarian dish by swapping the chicken broth for vegetable broth. You could also toss in a little cooked chicken if you wanted to add more protein.

Results:
All I have to say is YUMMO!!!! I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a big fan of mushrooms so it’s weird that I’m in love with a soup that uses cream of mushroom as a base but it’s true. And let’s face it; anything with cheddar cheese melted into it is bound to be delicious. The hubs, who doesn’t really care for sweet potatoes, was pleasantly surprised by how much he enjoyed this soup. So it’s an all-around winner at our house.

The best thing about this recipe is that soups tend to taste better the longer you simmer them. So set your Crock Pot on low and forget about it while you are dashing around town, wrapping gifts, or watching holiday movies.

The next time I make this, I may cut the chicken broth in half (use 1 cup instead of 2) for a little creamier consistency but honestly, it was great the way it was.

If you are a fan of easy, hearty, and tasty soups, this is the perfect recipe for you. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Until next time,
Ryann