This is such a wonderful soup, it has such a creamy texture and a hint of sweetness. Yautia is a traditional root found in Puerto Rico. Although yautia is usually eaten just boiled, we have incorporated it in this recipe to create the perfect soup. You will be happy to eat this one any day.
Ingredients:
2lb yautia
1 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion diced
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 vegetable bouillon
6 cups of water
1 tsp salt
1 cup half and half cream
1 pinch of nutmeg
Let’s prepare the yautia. You can either wash the yautia thoroughly before you peel it or you can do it afterwards after you cut it. Here we are going to peel it first and then wash it. I like to use a vegetable peeler to remove the outer skin. Make sure to peel all the way down to the white flesh underneath the skin.
You may find some discolored spots, which you can just go ahead and cut out with a knife. Here, we are also using two kinds of yautia: white and purple. I like the mix of both of them but if you have a strong preference, you can choose either one. Also, purple yautia has hints of purple in the flesh and that’s why it is called that but it is not all purple so don’t let the name trick you.
After you have peeled the yautia, go ahead and cut any remaining discolored spots and cut your yautia in pieces that are about the same size, mine are cubes of about two inches. Put the pieces in clean water to start removing some of the dirt that is still remaining. After you have cut the yautia then thoroughly wash them and keep them in a clean bowl.
With your yautia ready, the rest of this recipe is very simple. First, heat up a large pan over medium-high heat and add your olive oil. Once it’s hot, go ahead and add your onions and crushed garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes, until the onions are translucent, mixing constantly. Once the onions are translucent then add the vegetable bouillon and saute for about one minute with the onions, then add the water and bring it to a boil.
Once the water starts boiling, add the yautia and let it cook until the yautia softens - usually about 15 - 20 minutes, mixing every once in a while.
Check the yautia with a form to confirm that it is tender. Once it is very tender, then use a food processor or an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth.
If you are using an immersion blender, you may need to lift the blender every once in a while to make sure that you catch all of the yautia pieces. Once the soup is all smooth, then add the half and half and mix.
Then add a pinch of nutmeg and mix. Let it cook for another 5 minutes. Try it and adjust salt if necessary.
Enjoy!
Check out our instructional video, showing how to make this recipe step-by-step HERE.